Meet our Affiliated Attorneys
Susan Luger Associates partners with litigators who have strong, oftentimes personal, knowledge of special education. These litigators will work with you to obtain the most appropriate services for your child.
James A. Brown, Esq.
James A. Brown has been practicing law for twenty-five years and is an experienced litigator. As a member of the law firm of Brown & Gropper, LLP, Jim has represented numerous labor unions in the building service, construction and transportation industries in both the public and private sectors.
More about James
Jim regularly appears in administrative proceedings, and has appeared as an expert before the New York City Charter Revision Commission on the topic of administrative judicial reform. He has testified before the New York City Council concerning administrative proceedings and has appeared on the network television program "Good Morning America" to address matters related to employment law
Jim also lectures widely and has had many articles published in the New York Law Journal and the Chief-Leader newspaper where he is a regular monthly columnist.
Melissa Brown, Esq.
Melissa Brown, a magna cum laude graduate of Barnard College, received her law degree from Rutgers Law School. Melissa has been practicing law for over twenty-five years. She specializes in education law and has been affiliated with Susan Luger Associates since 2007.
More about Melissa
She has extensive litigation experience and has represented clients in numerous proceedings against the NYC Department of Education and other school districts in New York State.
Melissa is multilingual, speaking Spanish and French fluently.
Deborah Ezbitski, Esq.
Deborah began her legal career over 25 years ago as a trial attorney with the Criminal Defense Division of The Legal Aid Society in New York City. She was also the Division’s Director of Training and Staff Development.
More about Deborah
Both her professional interest in learning and her personal experience with special education brought her back to the practice of law and to representing parents of children with special needs.
Joseph M. Fein, Esq.
Joseph M. Fein is a 1994 graduate of Yeshiva University’'s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. His extensive experience as a litigator began as an Assistant District
Attorney in Queens County and later on as Deputy General Counsel for New York City Off-Track Betting Corp.
More about Joseph
In 2004, Joseph opened his own legal practice focused on special education advocacy and litigation. As the father of a special needs child, Joseph understands the unique challenges facing our parents. Joseph is fluent in Hebrew.
You can visit Joseph’s website at www.educationalesq.
com.
Adriane Gavronsky, Esq.
Adriane Gavronsky is a graduate of Barnard College and Brooklyn Law School. Adriane has over twenty-five years of litigation experience. She has litigated on behalf of children to secure an appropriate education, psychodynamic counseling and in custody proceedings.
More about Adriane
Adriane has extensive litigation experience defending the City of New York in high exposure cases including medical, premises and police actions. Adriane is bilingual in French and Spanish.
Andrea Greer Silvia, Esq., Attorney and Advocate
Andrea Silvia is one of Susan Luger Associates' double threat professionals, providing both an attorney's eye for the law and an expert knowledge of reading
programs.
She is a 1995 graduate of Seton Hall School of Law as well as a 1990 graduate of the Masters program at
Columbia University - Teachers College.
More about Andrea
As a Fellow at the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practioners and Educators, Andrea lectures nationwide, tutors learning disabled students and
trains teachers to do the same.
Since 1990, Andrea also worked as a classroom teacher in New York area private and public schools, gaining first hand knowledge and experience with a variety of curriculum and programs.
Irina Roller, Esq.
Irina is a 1999 graduate of New York Law School. After working for premier plaintiff and defense litigation firms as a trial attorney in NYC she started her own law firm in 2004. Irina’s firm is dedicated to representing families with special needs children, helping Parents obtain or fund appropriate educational placements and services for their children. Irina has successfully litigated against the Department of Education, gaining a reputation of being no nonsense in every aspect.
More about Irina
Irina believes that every child deserves the opportunity to succeed and every Parent deserves the right to relish that success. Irina is also involved in philanthropy. She has been active board member of the UJA-Federation of New York for over 12 years. She is fluent in Russian. www.rollerlawoffices.com
Michelle Siegel, Esq.
Michelle Siegel is a compassionate and creative attorney
eager to empower children and families with special needs in their battle to secure appropriate educational programs
and services in New York. She is a 2001 graduate of the University of San Francisco School of Law and is licensed
to practice law in both California and New York.
More about Michelle
As an Assistant District Attorney in the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, Michelle successfully prosecuted
complex felony cases in both the Major Narcotics Investigations Bureau and Sex Crimes Bureau.
Michelle teaches Media Law at Polytechnic Institute of New York University.
William S. Strauss, Esq.
William S. Strauss is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School,
where he received his J.D. in 1973. He has been a trial and litigation attorney throughout his legal career. In addition to his work with Susan Luger Associates, Bill has
worked on behalf of children in IDEA matters at South Brooklyn Legal Services. He has served on numerous committees of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York.
Lawrence D. Weinberg, Esq., Ed.D.
Dr. Lawrence Weinberg, Larry to his colleagues, represents parents at impartial hearings in New York and New Jersey. Larry is also on the Appellate Team for SLA, handling appeals to the State Review Officer and to federal court.
More about Lawrence
Dr. Lawrence Weinberg, Larry to his colleagues, represents parents at
impartial hearings in New York and New Jersey. Larry is also on the
Appellate Team for SLA, handling appeals to the State Review Officer
and to federal court. He also represents parents in appeals to the New
York State Commissioner of Education on various issues, including
transportation, vaccinations, and gifted and talented programs.
Larry holds a master's degree in education from Northwestern
University and both a law degree and Doctor of Education degree from
Boston University. His interest in special education started while
working at a school for special needs children. He brings his
background as a special needs educator to hearings.
He is the author of the book “Religious Charter Schools: Legalities
and Practicalities”, and has also published articles and book chapters
related to educational policy. He was formerly a professor of
educational leadership at Northwest Missouri State University and was
a proud presenter at the White House summit on education in April
2008.
His website is
http://www.lawrenceweinberg.com.