• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content

Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost LLP

Matejka M. Handley

she/her/hers

Associate

Sacramento
mhandley@f3law.com
D 916.604.3086
Matejka M. Handley

What can I solve for you?

Clients turn to me to address a wide range of issues that arise in special education, student services, and charter schools, and I also give speeches and presentations on these topics.

What's it like to work with me?

While I bring my legal experience and knowledge to my practice, I consider forming and maintaining strong relationships as the most essential aspect of my job. My people skills make clients feel comfortable and result in productive discussions. I understand their challenges and empathize with the difficult task of stretching limited resources to provide sufficient help to the children who need it. They also appreciate my ability to craft and execute successful strategies.

Top Issues in My Practice

  • #section504
  • #specialeducation
  • #studentservices

Overview

Matejka Handley focuses her practice on the areas of special education, student services, and charter schools, including issues pertaining to Section 504, student rights and discipline, and student policy compliance. She advocates for school districts in complaint hearings before the Office of Administrative Hearing, the Office for Civil Rights, and the California Department of Education.

Special education disputes often center on questions of placement and what constitutes an appropriate amount of support and services for students. Matejka goes into each case with the firm belief that all involved parties want to provide the best learning environment possible for every child. Her steadiness and compassion in these often fraught and emotional situations help diffuse tensions and preserve relationships with families. Districts value Matejka’s ability to forge acceptable compromises and speedy resolutions.

As a frequent public speaker and presenter on student services webinars and client-specific trainings, Matejka brings a friendly, relatable approach and a broad and deep knowledge base. She believes many topics are often made unnecessarily complex and enjoys creating and presenting material that’s both easily digestible and highly useful.

Matejka’s ease in communicating with individuals from all backgrounds put people at ease and help facilitate sound resolutions and optimal outcomes. She also contributes her clear, linear thought process and excellent organizational skills to every matter.

Before joining F3, Matejka worked at another California education law firm, where she represented local education agencies. Prior to that, she worked as a volunteer attorney for the Solano County Public Defender’s office, advocating for parents during detention, disposition and status-review dependency proceedings. During law school, Matejka volunteered with Bay Area and Sacramento non-profits that addressed dependency and education for children. She also clerked for a judge within the San Francisco Superior Court who presided over dependency matters.

Experience Highlights

Externship

  • Solano County Public Defender's Office
  • East Bay Children's Law Offices
  • Children's Law Center of California
  • Legal Services for Children

Clerkships

  • Clerked for Judge Linda Colfax, San Francisco Superior Court

Involvement

Community Involvement

  • Volunteer Infrastructure Project (VIP) Coordinator for AmeriCorps

Recognition

  • Recipient, Witkin Award for Academic Excellence in Constitutional Law

After School

I enjoy crocheting, the beach, and all things donuts. 

Education

  • Golden Gate University School of Law (J.D.)
  • Institute for Shipboard Education, Semester at Sea

    Semester at Sea

  • University of California, San Diego (B.A., International Studies; Minors in History and Urban Studies and Planning, summer abroad)

Admissions

Bar Admissions
  • California

Related Services

  • Special Education
  • Student Rights & Discipline
  • Title IX

Related Clients

  • Charter Schools
  • Public Education K-12

Matejka's Insights

  1. Newsflash
    Revisions to Extended School Year Regulation Do Not Change LEA Obligation to Consider Student Placement in Least Restrictive Environment
    March 2023
    2 minute read
All insights
Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost LLP
Get our latest newsflashes
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Contact Us
  • © 2023 Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost LLP
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
Site by
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
  • Professionals
  • Services
    • Business
    • Communications & Media Relations
    • Education Technology
    • Employment Law
    • Facilities & Construction
    • Governance & Leadership
    • Government Affairs & Public Policy
    • Interscholastic Activities
    • Investigations
    • Labor Relations & Negotiations
    • Litigation
    • Next Level Client Services
    • Real Estate & Property
    • Special Education
    • Student Rights & Discipline
    • Title IX
    • Virtual Learning
  • Our Clients
    • Charter Schools
    • Community Colleges
    • Higher Education
    • Independent & Private Schools
    • Public Agencies
    • Public Education K-12
    • Religious & Parochial Schools
  • Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access
  • Events
    • Special Education Symposium
    • Student Legal Symposium
  • Our Firm
    • Leadership
    • Locations
  • Careers
  • Civics
  • Insights
  • Contact Us