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The Special Needs Education Attorney with First Hand Experience.
Lana L. Traynor, Attorney at Law / Karen McKenney / Claire Cowan
About Lana L. Traynor, Attorney at Law
First and foremost, Lana Traynor is the parent of three fabulous children, two of whom needed early intervention services because of learning differences. In 1999, one of her sons was diagnosed with a disability and needed special education services not available abroad (the family was living in Hong Kong at the time). During the family’s search for resources, Lana realized the special education process was extremely complex and difficult to navigate. That first hand experience and her background as an attorney (See Lana’s Resume) fostered a lasting desire to help students with special needs (and their families) to navigate the education maze.
For over 11 years Lana has been serving families and individuals with special needs. Beyond making a positive difference for people using her legal skills and personal experience, the thing that motivates her each day is the opportunity to meet and work with wonderful people in and outside the office and the chance to learn something new. She particularly enjoys the opportunity to connect with the families and students she works with, whether sitting on the floor and playing with Legos or sitting on the couch and providing a shoulder for grieving parents. Lana can’t imagine a more fulfilling way to make a difference.
Lana is licensed to practice law in Oregon, Washington and California and has represented clients in all three states. She is also admitted to practice law in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
When out of the office, Lana is very active with her sons and favorite hobbies. You’ll usually find Lana and her family fishing from the banks of a river, riding her horse, Joey, or shooting skeet with her friends. She’s a voracious crossword fan and reader, and enjoys doing needlepoint, a skill her grandmother taught her.
A native of Washington, Lana came to Oregon in the late 1980s and, aside from a 2-year stint in Hong Kong, has never considered living anywhere else. She does, however, enjoy frequent trips with her three sons, and Lucy, a tri-colored Corgi with a big dog mentality.
About Karen McKenney, Legal Assistant
Karen is passionate about improving the lives of families with special needs. The opportunity to join the Lana L. Traynor team was one she couldn’t pass up. As an experienced mother of a child with a disability, Karen is committed to supporting and advocating for families experiencing challenges with the educational system. She is a graduate of Oregon’s intensive Partners in Policy Making Program, which teaches individuals how to effectively advocate for all people with disabilities. She is also a member of the City of Beaverton’s Citizen’s with Disabilities Committee and the Inclusive Communities Action Network (ICAN).
Karen’s been in Oregon since moving here as a child in 1970 (a graduate of Beaverton High) and can’t imagine raising a family or living anywhere else. She’s all about keeping a youthful perspective on life – the youth group of high school freshman girls that she leads sees to that. Karen also enjoys horsing around. She can often be found at the barn watching her daughter ride or saddling up herself. Karen and her husband of more than 20 years also share a son who experiences a disability. At home the family, along with their dog and 2 cats, enjoys watching movies, camping and water sports.
About Claire Cowan, Legal Assistant
Claire joined the firm in 2010, bringing a background as an early childhood special education teacher and classroom consultant. In addition to having experience with special needs in the school system, she has witnessed, firsthand, the struggle that families have in receiving the services they need, as several family members have traveled the special needs path. She enjoys working as part of a team that is truly passionate about helping families find the educational resources and services they need. Claire holds a BS in Psychology and a MS in Special Education, from Western Oregon State College.
As a Coast Guard 'brat,' Claire has lived in cities from coast to coast. While she does have her deepest roots in North Carolina, Claire has been in Oregon since childhood and has come to love her adopted home state. Outside of work, you'll find Claire in the kitchen, enjoying wine tasting with friends, or in a tent out in the wilderness with her family. She and her husband, Kelly, also keep plenty busy running with their three daughters, as well as their dog, cat and turtle… OK, so maybe they don't run so much with the turtle, but you get the idea!
Hope for a better future begins today… contact Lana L. Traynor, LLC, Attorney at Law, at 503.968.6792 to schedule a free initial consultation.
Lana L. Traynor, LLC / 6950 SW Hampton Road / Suite 336 / Tigard, Oregon 97223
p. 503.968.6792 / f. 503.968.6793 / (SEE DISCLAIMER)
DISCLAIMER: This website is for information purposes only and information contained in this site should not be construed as legal advice. Please do not include any confidential,secret or otherwise sensitive information concerning any potential or actual legal matter in this e-mail message. Unsolicited e-mails do not create an attorney-client relationship and confidential or secret information included in such e-mails cannot be protected from disclosure. An attorney-client relationship is not formed unless and until specifically agreed to in writing by attorney and client. Lana Traynor does not have a duty or a legal obligation to keep confidential any information that you provide to us. Also, please note that Lana Traynor does not seek to practice law in any jurisdiction in she is not properly authorized to do so.
Lana L. Traynor, LLC, Attorney at Law, is an education attorney based in Portland and licensed in Oregon, Washington and California. Ms. Traynor works with special education and special needs students and their families across all levels of education including representation at IEP meetings, representation of students with special needs including regular education students with disciplinary issues, college students on scholarship, graduate students facing disciplinary action or expulsion, and disabled students.