YAF Celebrates Pro Bono Week, October 22-28, 2023

With this week coming to a close, we want to again recognize and thank all of the firms and people volunteering their time to ensure Massachusetts' children and emerging adults are able to receive access to an equitable education.

Please read through these stories below, highlighting the wonderful work they’ve done this year or are currently doing, and join us, one more time, in thanking all of these incredible people for their time and expertise volunteered!

Thank you Annie Lee of Anderson Kreiger for representing a non-verbal client with ASD needing residential placement. Thanks to Annie this student received a residential placement!

Thank you TJ Roskelley of Anderson Kreiger for fighting for improved transition services and out-of-district placement for a teenager with autism who has made no program in his current high school for years.

Thank you Matt Bowser of Anderson Kreiger for representing an 8-year-old child of color who was handcuffed by police at school after a disability-related outburst. Their team successfully got the child a terrific out-of-district placement that he absolutely loves and where he is excelling.

Thank you Kristen Gagalis of Anderson Kreiger for continuing to represent an autistic client who, thanks to Kristen's advocacy last year, was appropriately placed in a day school that is able to meet her needs. Though the family recently moved, Kristen is working to maintain some school stability for her client with services in the new district.

We'd also like to thank Matt Leno, Derek Roller and Alex Nagorniy of Barnes & Thornburg LLP for representing a 9 year old with learning disabilities who has been denied special education services by his district and as a result has experienced severe anxiety over his inability to keep up in school.

Another big thank you to Matt Leno and Sean Phipps of Barnes & Thornburg LLP for representing a 4th grader who was hospitalized at the time they first met him. They obtained a new placement for their client within the district and now are continuing to build the case for an out-of-district placement.

Thank you Conor O'Sullivan-Pierce of Choate Hall & Stewart LLP for representing a non-verbal third grade student on the autism spectrum. Thanks to Conor the student obtained placement in private therapeutic day school with the services and support this student needs.

Thank you Natalia Smychkovich of Choate Hall & Stewart LLP for the work you did representing a young elementary school student with a hearing disability to obtain an out-of-district placement.

We'd also like to thank Seth Mennillo and Silvia Faria of Choate Hall & Stewart LLP for representing an 11 year old with emotional and learning disabilities to get the support he needs on all fronts from his school district.

Thank you John Calhoun, Andrew Norkiewicz, and Meg Ziegler of Choate Hall & Stewart LLP for helping a 5 year old on the autism spectrum receive an out-of-district placement at a school that is perfect for him.

We'd also like to continue to thank Patrick Archambault from Choate Hall & Stewart LLP, working with Alexandra ('Lexie”) Reynolds of Proskauer for providing ongoing support to a client attending an out-of-district placement

Thank you again to Lexie Reynolds from Proskauer! In addition to the pro bono work with Patrick Archambault mentioned above, she is helping to secure a language-based reading program for a 7th grade student who is currently reading at a 2nd grade level.

Thank you Jasmine Brown, Susanna Chi and John Shope of Foley Hoag LLP for representing twin five year old boys with physical and occupational therapy needs. The school has refused services and the legal team is in the process of obtaining independent evaluations.

We'd also like to thank Marissa Delinks of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP for helping a 16 year old student on the autism spectrum with intellectual challenges to find him a program that will help with life skills and transition to adulthood.

Thank you Leon Peschel of Goodwin Procter LLP for helping a young student with autism receive much more individualized support than they were originally getting in school. Leon is continuing to work on getting more ABA services for this client as well.

We want to thank the amazing team of Gregg Katz and Gaebriella DeLisle from Goodwin Procter for their representation of three pro bono clients, one of whom is a 4th grade student who is struggling both academically and emotionally. Gabriella and Gregg are working with an independent evaluator to understand the child's learning profile in order to advocate for the appropriate services. They're also representing an 11 yo with complex medical and social/emotional needs who has been isolated and disciplined repeatedly by his school for behavior that is related to his disability. Recently the school agreed to place the student in an appropriate out-of-district program. They also have a case in progress for a 3rd grade student in need of a language based program.

We'd also like to thank Ivanka Canzius, Daniela Sanchez and Gregg Katz of Goodwin Procter for their pro bono representation of an 18 year old student with emotional disabilities who needs enhanced therapeutic support. Just this week the team secured a therapeutic placement for the student and are now working with the district to update the IEP.

Another thank you to Gregg Katz and Laura Wood from Goodwin Procter for representing a high school student in need of a therapeutic day program. They have just accepted an extended evaluation.

Thank you to Lisa Stephanian Burton and Laurielle Howe from Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart PC for their pro bono representation of a middle school student with multiple suicide attempts. Thanks to Lisa and Laurielle, their client has obtained a therapeutic day school placement.

We'd also like to thank Brandon Arber of Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP for his pro bono work with a 9 yr old client who was in a school district that was unable to support him and repeatedly sent him home from school, despite being on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Brandon helped him in locating an appropriate program with the academics and emotional supports he needs.

Thank you Alex Roggio, Kristina Cary and Miriam Dormer of Kirkland & Ellis for completing representation of a 14 year old student on the autism spectrum who has been a victim of serious bullying and needed a safe school with appropriate supports. They also helped the family through a year-long school search process.

We want to thank Avery Borreliz, Lauren Hadiaris and Priyanka Krishnamurthy of Latham & Watkins for representing a bright 7 yo on the autism spectrum being bullied and receiving no services from school.

We'd also like to thank Brian Wolgast, Cory Lewis, and Lauren Hadiaris of Latham & Watkins for their pro bono representation of a five year old on the autism spectrum, who received significant early intervention services, but was denied special education by the school district. This team successfully argued for special education eligibility which brought with it appropriate services in school for this client.

Thank you to Christopher Lloyd and Samuel Townsend of Latham & Watkins for continuing this firm's long-term representation of a 13 year old student by helping with his transition from a residential program to a day school.

Thanks to Lacy Giesecke and Lauren Hadiaris of Latham & Watkins for representing a 12 year old student not making progress in reading as a result of insufficient services in school. With their help, this student obtained a place in an intensive summer program during which his reading level went up two grades.

We'd like to thank Kelly Crosby and Janet Nolan of Liberty Mutual Insurance for their pro bono work representing a 16 year old ELL student with neurological, physical and intellectual disabilities. This student recently moved districts and his complicated profile has made the transition difficult. The legal team is working to make sure the new district can adequately support the family.

Thank you Nicola Sullivan, Stephen Miklus, and Wayne George of Morgan Lewis for representing a 12 year old with autism who is placed at an out-of-district program and needs a more inclusive placement in his home school district to support his anxiety and give him a chance to learn alongside neurotypical peers.

A big thanks to YAF's 2022 Pro Bono Attorney of the Year, Laura Lerner, of Morgan Lewis for taking on three pro bono cases this year. She helped a 16 year old student with dyslexia move back into mainstream high school, an 11 year old student with autism secure appropriate placement, and a 14 year old student with autism and dyslexia find an appropriate program with opportunities for inclusion.

We'd also like to thank Stephanie Faraci of Morgan Lewis for her pro bono work on two cases this year. She represents a 9 year old student on the autism spectrum who was injured at her public school program. She has secured an out-of-district placement for this student. She is also representing a 15 year old student with dyslexia attending a vocational school.