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Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost LLP

John W. Norlin

Special Counsel

San Diego
jnorlin@f3law.com
D 760.304.6016
John W. Norlin

What can I solve for you?

I stay on the forefront of emerging and important issues in the special education arena and find it gratifying to bring our attorneys up to speed so they can best keep clients updated. The firm relies on me to produce relevant and engaging presentation materials that they can use to inform and instruct clients and other audiences.

What's it like to work with me?

In my role, I collaborate closely with partners in the special education group and keep our legal teams abreast of relevant developments. Always monitoring the education law area, I identify relevant new legislation, court rulings and other changes that could affect clients. I have a strong appreciation for educators. As the parent of twins with autism, I value our educators impact on our children. I’m honored to help school districts serve all of our children.

Top Issues in My Practice

  • #newsflash
  • #specialeducation
  • #specialeducationsymposium

“As a parent of twins with autism attending public school, my appreciation for educators has deepened far beyond what I gained in 20 years of working in special education law. A heartfelt thank you to all of you.”

Overview

A nationally recognized creator of leading educational professional development curricula, attorney John Norlin brings more than 20 years of comprehensive legal research, writing and editing experience to his practice. John produces instructional materials that incorporate his broad and deep knowledge on subjects such as student discipline, individualized education programs, placement, privacy and confidentiality, discrimination and bullying and harassment. He also facilitates instruction on issues relating to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Applying his outstanding communication skills, John produces clear, comprehensive, jargon-free products that engage a range of audiences. Examples of John’s many contributions include:

  • producing educational materials for in-service trainings for school districts;
  • developing components of F3’s bi-annual, statewide Special Education Symposia, a multifaceted legal workshop designed to inform the practices of special educators with respect to new case law, emerging legal trends and legislative mandates;
  • creating eLearning courses and audio conferences to train school administrators and staff on emerging legal and regulatory special education compliance issues;
  • compiling F3’s The Green Book… of Special Education Laws and Regulations, a compendium of essential federal and state laws and regulations that guide special education in public schools;
  • editing F3’s NewsFlash series, which provides complimentary email notifications regarding current news on legal decisions and legislative updates affecting public education.

John draws on valuable experience to optimize his work for F3. Previously, he served as editorial director for LRP Publications, one of the nation’s leading education law publishing houses. In his leadership role there, he authored numerous books and treatises, including the nationally recognized What Do I Do When . . . ® Answer Book series. John also used his experience to identify key educational and legal trends to plan and develop more than 20 national special education law conferences for school attorneys and administrators.

After School

My twins keep me very busy. I also enjoy hiking, traveling and exploring new restaurants.  I’m an avid baseball enthusiast, and I enjoy reading nonfiction, particularly history.

Education

  • University of Michigan Law School (J.D.)
  • Valparaiso University (B.A., History and Journalism)

Admissions

Bar Admissions
  • California
  • Florida

Related Services

  • Special Education
  • Student Rights & Discipline

Related Clients

  • Public Education K-12

Publications

  • What Do I Do When… ® Answer Book series
  • Authored eLearning courses and created audio conferences to train school administrators and staff on emerging legal and regulatory compliance issues, encompassing topics such as student discipline, individualized education programs, placement, privacy and confidentiality, discrimination, bullying and harassment, and other issues related to the IDEA, ADA, Section 504 and FERPA
  • Compiled F3’s “The Green Book®… of Special Education Laws and Regulations,” a compendium of essential federal and state laws and regulations that guide special education in public schools
  • Edits F3’s NewsFlash series which can be found under Insights

John's Insights & News

  1. Viewpoints
    Private School Students to Participate in Public School Sports in Iowa
    Jun 13, 2025
    2 minute read
  2. Viewpoints
    U.S. Supreme Court Upholds “Deliberate Indifference” in ADA and Section 504 Lawsuits
    Jun 12, 2025
    2 minute read
  3. News
    House Settlement Ushers in a New Era of Direct Athlete Pay in College Sports
    Jun 09, 2025
    2 minute read
More Insights & News
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