Laura K. Gasiorowski’s Pro Bono Pursuit of Free and Appropriate Education for Disabled Student Prevails

Stahl Gasiorowski Criminal Defense is proud of our lawyers’ participation on the CJA panel and contribution of pro bono representation to deserving legal organizations.

Attorney Laura K. Gasiorowski has participated as a pro bono volunteer attorney for Mobilization for Justice (MJF), a New York organization that offers free legal assistance to low-income New Yorkers throughout New York City to resolve legal problems in the areas of housing; civil, disability and aging rights; kinship care; and immigration.

For the past year, Laura Gasiorowski has represented the parent of a student receiving special education services, ultimately filing a due process complaint alleging violation of FAPE, the legal obligation to provide a free and appropriate public education for students with disabilities, and requesting compensatory education and related services. With the assistance of Andrew Gerst, an MFJ lawyer, Ms. Gasiorowski was able to secure the student temporary placement in a Non-Public School (a privately operated, publicly-funded school specializing in providing special educational services for students whose needs are not met in a public school setting) and a bank of 900 hours of one-on-one tutoring while the due process complaint was litigated.

Filed over a year ago, the hearing was held over several weeks this fall. In a recent decision, the Impartial Hearing Officer found in favor of the parent and student, ordering 690 hours of compensatory speech and language therapy; 138 hours of executive functioning counseling and occupational therapy; 10 hours of parent training; development of a new IEP with implementation of five one hour sessions of additional speech-language therapy weekly; and deferral to CBST for placement in a Non-Public School. The Findings of Fact and Decision and the relief awarded constitute a resounding success that will have a profound and immediate effect on this young person’s education and chances for a productive future.

This holiday season, consider contributing to MFJ to support the organization’s effort to provide equal access to justice, or becoming involved in pro bono work for MFJ or other legal services’ organizations serving communities in our area. See https://mobilizationforjustice.org/

Laura K. Gasiorowski, Esq. is a member of the Stahl Gasiorowski Criminal Defense law firm. In her criminal defense practice at the firm she has worked extensively on complex pre-trial, trial and appellate matters related to mail/wire fraud, healthcare fraud, money laundering, drug and gun violations and murder.

Stahl Gasiorowski Criminal Defense provides criminal defense legal services in sophisticated white-collar cases, as well as certain drug and violent crimes. The firm is highly experienced in all types of complex criminal matters involving many types of electronic evidence. To contact the firm’s NJ office, call 908.301.9001 and to contact the firm’s NYC office, call 212.755.3300, or email Ms. Gasiorowski at lgasiorowski@stahlesq.com, or Robert Stahl at rstahl@stahlesq.com.