Marie’s special education journey began when she was introduced to the world of Autism by her then two-year old exceptional son in 2009, who was also later diagnosed with Dyslexia.  As a gifted legal professional, she successfully navigated the special education system for her own son, learning not only the importance of early intervention, but receiving appropriate services from highly qualified providers was key to positive student outcomes, though she soon realized not all families experienced the same levels of success.  She found the system undoubtedly inequitable and often, unattainable for at-risk youth and children from low socioeconomic backgrounds.  Marie is dedicated to ensuring equitable access to education and believes that all children deserve a quality education no matter what their background. 

Marie is a highly effective and talented legal professional with 27 years of experience in the legal field in the areas of debt collection, employment law, real estate, family law and complex litigation (asbestos), with an emphasis in special education and civil rights over the last 15 years.  Marie has represented and supported hundreds of families at IEP meetings, 504 meetings, expulsion hearings, resolution meetings and mediations, and due process hearings.  As an educational consultant, advocate, and paralegal, Marie has successfully negotiated favorable settlements and assisted in obtaining favorable outcomes for clients at due process proceedings, resolution meetings, and mediation.  She consults with parents and school professionals on IEP development, goal writing, and progress monitoring for students impacted by a wide range of disabilities, and provides support to attorneys and other legal professionals in preparation for litigation.  While the goal is always settlement outside of due process and litigation, below is a list of OAH cases Marie has worked on that have obtained favorable decisions for students.