Julie Swersey, Esq.
I’ve been where you are. My goal is to level the playing field and help you operate as if you have as much experience as the school district.
Soon after my eldest daughter was born in 2011 we realized she had a number of medical complications. Initially she had a team of doctors that could field the Celtics. Later, she had a team that could field the Red Sox. Today, I’m involved in fielding her New England Patriots sized team, some of whom are one of only a handful of specialists in the country.
Ensuring an appropriate educational program for a child with special needs is complicated. Managing the medical care for a medically complex child is at least as complicated. I sit at the intersection of both.
When you come to the table with a school district you are dealing with professionals who deal with IEPs all day every day. Your child may be the only child you deal with in this circumstance. As an advocate, my goal is to level the playing field and help you operate as if you have as much experience as they do.
In my previous career, I worked as an attorney for the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs and Weil, Gotshal & Mangges LLP. While I am no longer in practice, my legal training gives me a strong background in dealing with bureaucratic systems, reading and interpreting laws, and understanding regulations.
I live in Newton, Massachusetts with my husband, two daughters ages 10 and 13, dog, and two cats. I hold a B.A. from Binghamton University in Political Science and a J.D. from Fordham University. I completed the Federation for Children with Special Needs (FCSN) Parent Consultant Training Institute Program. Currently, I serve as Interim Internship Coordinator and run IEP Clinics through the FCSN Information Center. I volunteer as a Special Education Surrogate Parent (SESP) and treasurer of my younger daughter’s Girl Scout Troop.