SUMMER C. ARDELL is an associate with the law firm of Hansen & Cleary, LLC.
Ms. Ardell focuses her practice on the areas of special education law, school discipline matters, mental health law, probate and guardianship matters, confidentiality issues, bullying investigations, and post-secondary education matters (including appealing post-secondary dismissals and Title IX matters). Ms. Ardell provides support in consultative services offered to select private schools as well as mental health practitioners. Ms. Ardell also presents to both professional and parent groups on topics of guardianship, special education, and professional development. Additionally, she is a trained mediator through the Center for Conflict Resolution, where she focused on tenancy and housing matters.
Ms. Ardell’s lifelong passion for Disability advocacy stems from her own experiences with Dyslexia and was further inspired by her mother’s work with youth with Cerebral Palsy. She began working in special education classrooms in 2016 as a classroom aid and ultimately became a 1:1 instructor at a residential treatment center for youth with severe mental illnesses. During law school, Ms. Ardell was an intern with Equip for Equality and the President of SUFEO, a free legal clinic for students with school-based problems. Due to her years in the field, Ms. Ardell has substantial experience working with youth who have complex medical and mental health challenges as well as their families.
Ms. Ardell graduated summa cum laude from Loyola Law School in 2020 and received her B.A. in education from Colorado College in 2019. She is an avid consumer of audiobooks and has been powerlifting since 2019.
