••••••>gray S. Mayerson

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Mayerson & Associates, formed in 2000, is committed to securing individualized and effective educational services and programs for children and adolescents with autism and other related disabilities. Working closely with families, educators, and professionals in the field, Mayerson & Associates strives to create greater awareness and understanding within the legal system.

Mayerson & Associates is responsible for the very first autism case to reach the United States Supreme Court - Hamilton County Dept. of Educ. v. Deal, 546 U.S. 936 (2005). Located in midtown Manhattan, most of Mayerson & Associates' matters originate in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. To date, however, Mayerson & Associates attorneys have assisted families in more than thirty states, as far away as Kodiak Island, Alaska. The firm also consults internationally and advocates before Congress and at the state legislative level.

Mayerson & Associates recognizes that every child presents differently, with their own unique mix of strengths and challenges, and that these needs will often change over time. In each and every ...
... case, the objective of Mayerson & Associates is to secure and maintain appropriate and effective services that are tailored to meet the unique needs of the child.

Gary Mayerson is a graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. In early 2000, Gary formed Mayerson & Associates as the very first law practice in the nation dedicated to representing children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders and related developmental disabilities.

Gary speaks regularly at national conferences and major universities and has testified before Congress on the subject of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) statute. He is the author of How to Compromise with Your School District without Compromising Your Child—A Field Guide for Getting Effective Services for Children with Special Needs (DRL Books 2004). Gary and his book have been profiled by the NBC Today Show, CNN, and the New York Times, among other media.

Gary also serves as a member of the Board of Autism Speaks, the largest not-for-profit autism organization in the world measured by resources dedicated to autism research, education and treatment. In addition to his board role, Gary serves as the Director of the Autism Speaks Federal Legal Appeals Project (FLAP), a pro bono initiative at the federal level.

On April 1, 2009, the law firms of Mayerson & Associates and Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld jointly filed amicus curiae brief with the United States Supreme Court in Forest Grove v. T.A., as part of the Autism Speaks Federal Legal Appeals Project.
Two years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court considered the appeal of the New York City Department of Education in Board of Education v. Tom F., 128 Sup.Ct. 1 (2007). Mayerson & Associates in collaboration with Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld filed an amicus curiae brief in that case as well. The core issue was whether or not a parent who wishes to challenge their child's IEP has standing to do so if the student has never before received special education services from the local educational agency (i.e., the New York City Department of Education).

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held that parents have standing to challenge an inappropriate IEP without first trying out the IEP considered to be inappropriate. The Supreme Court granted certiorari to hear the NYCDOE's appeal, but it resulted in a 4-4 decision (after Justice Kennedy recused himself). The U.S. Supreme Court's 4-4 decision let the Second Circuit's decision stand. However, the decision was only applicable in the Second Circuit (i.e., New York, Connecticut and Vermont), allowing other circuits in the nation to rule differently.

By granting certiorari in Forest Grove on the very same issue, it is clear that the high court wants to provide uniformity and consistency on the standing issue. This time, Justice Kennedy will be casting a vote, and given the Supreme Court's prior 4-4 result, Justice Kennedy's vote may well be decisive.

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