Who We Are
The Law Offices of David C. Shaw, LLC. provides comprehensive
and effective representation of children and adults with disabilities.
We represent children with disabilities and their families
in special education and civil rights cases to ensure they receive
a free appropriate public education and non-discriminatory treatment
as required by the federal Individuals With Disabilities Education
Act (“IDEA”) and Americans With Disabilities Act. Ours is a statewide
practice.
We frequently represent children with learning disabilities,
children with dyslexia, children on the autism spectrum, children
with multiple disabilities, children with intellectual disabilities,
children with social and emotional disturbances, and children
with neurological impairments. We have also represented
many children who present with other disabilities that do not
easily fit into the categories specified in IDEA, such as children
with Lyme Disease, children with Cochlear Implants, children with
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD and ADHD), children with Bipolar
Disorder, and Children with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and we have
done so for many years. We are successful in securing appropriate
educational programs and placements for many children each year.
We also have filed and successfully obtained money damages on
behalf of children and their parents against school and public
officials where those children have been physically or emotionally
injured due to the wrongful or discriminatory conduct of school
or public officials. Our firm has also filed and obtained systemic
change in a number of significant class action lawsuits to remove
discrimination against persons with disabilities from publicly
funded service delivery systems.
Individuals with disabilities are among the most vulnerable members
of our society. They are often provided an inadequate education
and frequently placed in inappropriate settings. When these children
are not able to function in the real world after graduation, public
officials are quick to blame the individual’s disability, rather
than the failure of the public education and adult service delivery
systems to prepare children for adult life. Our mission is to
represent children and adults with disabilities to ensure they
receive the education and services they need, to enforce the federal
and state laws that have been enacted to end discrimination and
to ensure that persons with disabilities are viewed as capable
contributing members of society.
We understand that parents know their children best. We work hard
to understand the concerns of the parents and to develop a legal
strategy that will secure the relief that the parents want and
their child deserves. We often discourage parents from representing
their children in due process hearings or mediation, however,
as public schools are often able to take advantage of an unrepresented
parent. Moreover, unrepresented parents typically do not succeed
in administrative hearings.
Attorney David C. Shaw is an experienced
lawyer and understand that trying cases is important.
Boards of Education know that if we are on the other side
we will fight as long and hard as necessary to achieve
the best result for the client. This may mean a single
hearing or an appeal to federal court. In Connecticut,
few lawyers who represent parents try special education
hearings to conclusion and even fewer pursue those cases
through the federal courts 