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SPECIAL EDUCATION ATTORNEY

The way we challenge school district programs is by making a compelling case,
and we just happen to be enormously successful at doing it

Tracey Spencer Walsh is the founder of Spencer Walsh Law, PLLC. Tracey helps families secure funding for educational services students need but have been denied by the school district, including securing funding for private schools. Tracey is a highly experienced litigation attorney focusing on Special Education cases. Tracey has successfully sued various school districts in Administrative and Federal Courts.

Admitted to practice in New York and Connecticut and Federal Courts, Tracey has litigated and settled hundreds of IDEA cases for students with autism, mental health challenges, learning disabilities, ADHD, and genetic disorders. The firm’s mission is to fight for kids’ rights. Our clients have fought hard, long enough. We remove the burden from our clients’ shoulders and we carry it – we take on the fight.

Our practice
areas include:

Special Education Law, Securing Educational Services and Private School Tuition Reimbursement and Constitutional Rights of Children.

LETS TALK →

THE TEAM

Meet the minds and hearts that are ready to work to protect your child's interests

At Spencer Walsh Law, every day is different from the next, but what each day has in common,
is the decision taken by each employee to strive for excellence. Excellence is the theme coursing through
every undertaken task, big or small; each task deserving and receiving the highest level of diligence and commitment.
Each person working for Spencer Walsh Law employs this mindset, as is evident in the firm’s success rate
for our clients and the firm’s extensive understanding of the intricacies involved in supporting families in their matters.

  • TRACEY SPENCER WALSH

    "There is nothing better than helping kids"
    Tracey Spencer Walsh is the Founder and Chief Litigation Strategist of Spencer Walsh Law, PLLC
    TRACEY SPENCER WALSH
    The Founder and Chief Litigation Strategist of Spencer Walsh Law, PLLC

  • SUSAN FINGERLE

    Susan is an experienced, skilled attorney with expertise in special education law, school law and inclusive education
    Susan Fingerle, Esq.
    SUSAN FINGERLE
    Attorney & Chief of Staff

  • HERMANN WALZ

    Hermann Walz is a lifelong resident of New York City. He has been a practicing litigation attorney for 30 years
    Hermann Walz Attorney
    HERMANN WALZ
    Attorney

  • CHRIS BARNETT

    Experienced trial attorney who has tremendous expertise in special education law and disability-inclusive education
    Chris Barnett is an attorney Spencer Walsh Law, PLLC at
    CHRIS BARNETT
    Attorney

  • SARAH GREISMAN

    "All children have the ability to thrive in their own skin"
    Sarah Greisman | Law
    SARAH GREISMAN
    Attorney

  • WENDY AHLSTRAND

    "Sometimes real superheroes live in the hearts of little children fighting big battles"
    Wendy Ahlstrand | Paralegal and Advocate at Spencer Walsh Law
    WENDY AHLSTRAND
    Paralegal & Advocate

  • Barbara Manella

    Barbara serves as the reimbursement specialist at Spencer Walsh law guiding clients through what can be a complicated and frustrating process in recovering lawfully owed funds from a school district
    Barbara Manella reimbursement specialist at Spencer Walsh Law
    Barbara Manella
    Reimbursement Specialist

  • THUGGER

    Proving himself to be a dog of integrity, loyalty and intelligence
    Thugge Chief Comfort and Support Giver | Spencer Walsh Law
    THUGGER
    Chief Comfort and Support Giver

TESTIMONIALS

Tracey Spencer Walsh and her team are fierce, talented advocates for families seeking an appropriate educational program for their children. In our very first phone conversation with Tracey, she listened closely to the specifics of our problem and responded with thoughtful, clear ideas and strategies on how to proceed. We are grateful that we were guided by Tracey and her team during the unique, challenging year of 2020 when covid-19 upended our lives. One thing I especially appreciate is the full-team approach to every client - it was apparent that everyone from Spencer Walsh Law knew exactly what was going on with our case at all times. Emails and voicemails are returned promptly; questions are thoroughly answered and we felt completely prepared for our hearing. We are especially grateful to Chris Barnett, who masterfully litigated our case. I also appreciate that at no time were we promised any guaranteed results of our efforts to secure an appropriate education for our child. But what Tracey and her team can guarantee is 100% commitment to their clients and thorough investigation, preparation and follow-through on every case they pursue.

N.H., Client

My husband and I will always be unbelievably grateful for all Tracey did to make sure that our son received the education he deserved! She was always so kind and patient with us and a pit bull when she was fighting for him! She is a perfect combination of intelligence, strength, and compassion! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

L.A. & L.A

"As parents, with our son, Colin, diagnosed on the Autistic spectrum, it can be an overwhelming challenge when thinking about how to best support his educational needs. At first, we were extremely frightened about how we would approach obtaining the best educational support offered by NYC DOE. After meeting Tracey Spencer Walsh, Esq. and her team at an NYU conference on Autism, we knew right then and there we had a parent advocate and legal support that could not only help navigate the complex process but also be there when we needed her as counsel. Tracey Spencer Walsh is an amazing attorney and delivered beyond our expectations in meeting the needs of our child, Colin, and our family. We were able to settle with the DOE in the smartest way possible for the first and second year of Colin's schooling. The settlements obtained by Tracey and her firm were above expectations and we are grateful to have Tracey Spencer Walsh, Esq. working as a representative for our son, Colin."

Patrick and Chastity, Clients

"Tracey occupies a unique and crucially important niche as an advocate for special needs students and their families. She brings a level of compassion to her clients that allows them to more clearly understand their rights and options in the midst of difficult circumstances. Tracey and her firm were able to advocate for our son and get him the services he needed and also get the NYC Department of Education to take on the financial obligation they would have otherwise pushed onto us. An expert in navigating the bureaucratic morass and keeping our case on track. At every level, all of our communications were professional, reassuring and there was never any doubt that the needs of our son came first."

David, Client

"Our family has been Tracey Walsh’s client for several years. Having worked with other attorneys on various matters, we continually find working with Ms. Walsh a little surprising. We would expect her to know the law, to understand the procedure, to think logically, and to articulate our position, and she does. However, she is not only capable but caring. If we really need to talk to her, she always (and I mean always) finds a way. If we email her without expecting her to respond until the next week, she responds on the same day. Despite her many responsibilities, she never seems simply to try to get our case off her desk. Instead, she takes the time to think the matter through with our interests in mind and to find the best solution for us, even if that solution requires original thinking. Anyone would be fortunate to work with her."

Michael, Client

"Tracey Spencer Walsh is a God-send to children and young adults with special educational needs. She brings both passion and competence to her calling. On the one hand, she is deeply, personally, and emotionally devoted to assuring that these vulnerable individuals are allowed to benefit from the rights, opportunities, and accommodations that the law provides. On the other hand, she has the legal skills and knowledge to prevail against the better-funded school district in-house lawyers and hired-guns. Tracey's legal and factual research is solid. Her manor before magistrates is poised and eloquent. Apart from the specific cases of which I am aware (including my son), there must by now be hundreds of individuals who owe their educational opportunities to Tracey's efforts."

Rod, Client

"My association with Tracey spans more than three years now and I could not have asked for a more knowledgeable, personable and high integrity advocate for our child with special needs... Tracey's attention to detail and her ability to leverage her expertise to achieve the best outcome possible for her clients is exemplary. However, the most outstanding quality in her is the empathetic way in which she connects with her clients and their causes. Tracey is one of the most formidable allies and the most trustworthy advocate a client can hope for."

S.B., Client

"We are elated with Tracey's commitment to our son. We had settled earlier than ever before, received excellent guidance and communication, and feel we are in the best of hands. The fact that her fees are substantially more affordable than any other attorney we've worked with is a true blessing. Thank you, Tracey, you are THE best."

Michele, Client

"I met Tracey through a family who was helped by her. My family was at a crossroads because our daughter was told she could no longer attend the school which she had been attending since Pre-K. Tracey was God sent. I remember meeting with her at her office. She was calm and attentive. She listened to me and promised no miracles, but a guarantee that she would work tirelessly on our behalf. Less than three months later, our case was settled. Tracey also defended me when the IEP meeting was set on a date that was not convenient for us. We really feel comfortable with Tracey and will be with her for the long haul. This practice puts clients first."

V.S., Client

"Tracey is, without a doubt, one of the best litigators out there. She is an extraordinarily passionate and dedicated advocate who has the right mix of compassion, intelligence, commitment and fierce determination. I know her as a fellow colleague but if I ever needed an education attorney, she would be my first choice."

Professor Leah Hill, Associate Dean for Experiential Education; Clinical Associate Professor of Law, Fordham University School of Law

"I have worked with a number of attorneys at different times in my career I can easily say that Ms. Walsh is among the most diligent, talented, and dedicated I have known. In addition, Ms. Walsh is easy to work with. She is very clear in her requirements, helpful in resolving problems, and always aware of the details I may I have missed. I have no reservations in offering her my recommendation."

Peter Gerhardt Ed.D

"Tracey is an excellent legal advocate for children with special needs and their families. She has a broad knowledge of special education and disability services for children and adults with special needs."

Dr. Michael Cohen, Neuropsychological & Diagnostic Services

"Tracey knows how to help families with special needs. She has deep experience with the Disabilities law and was able to assist us in achieving a good outcome for our family."

Lori, Client

"Tracey is extremely knowledgeable in the field of law. She is meticulous and detailed-oriented. I would highly recommend Tracey strongly to anyone and without reservation."

S.B., Client

"Tracey is a seasoned advocate as well as a very strong litigator. Tracey has great expertise and knowledge within the field of special needs."

Lisa Frenette, IBI Associates

"We were new to the country, the system, and most importantly, to the diagnosis. We had identified what services our son needed but we did not know if we would be able to get them for him. This generated a great deal of anxiety and we knew things could go either way and that thought terrified us. As a parent of a child with autism, you have many battles to fight on your own. Tracey not only managed to ease our fears on a legal level but she also did on an emotional level. She was our support. She had our back and she was going to do all she could to fight for our son to get the services he desperately needed. She never gave up, she was sharp yet dignified and graceful in all her dealings. She always figures things out and is not outsmarted! She has optimism, empathy and legal prowess - a winning combination! As a result, we got the services we needed for our son. We also were given a great deal of support, comfort, advice, and information that would help to make life with autism easier. She made the entire process as effortless as possible and for that, we will be forever grateful!"

A.B., Client

"We have been working with Tracey since 2010 when she first represented us in our attempts to get appropriate school placing and home therapy for our severely autistic son. We had been suffering from increasingly inadequate support, and as his behavior declined we had taken the daunting step of putting him in a costly private school as the only viable option. Tracey from the start was brilliant: she thought both in immediate and strategic terms of what we needed as a family then and what we would need in the future. And then went ahead in a calm, wholly committed and profoundly competent way to get it for us, year in, year out, without fail. Over the last six years she has closely monitored every stage of the development of our son’s needs and then gone about meeting them, straining to secure appropriate settlements and quickly and painlessly resolving hearings when they were not forthcoming. Her long experience and inside knowledge are impressive, and she consistently goes way beyond her professional obligations in caring for the families she represents; last year, for example, she drafted a letter in reply to our neighbors’ threats of legal action within 24 hours. Tracey’s mastery of special education law in New York may be unparalleled, and she sees her clients not just as individual students, parents, or indeed clients, but as families. There are some people whose jobs are, more than jobs, genuine vocations, and to our great good luck Tracey is one of them. That our family has managed to stay together through these years it is in large part due to her."

Paul and S, Clients

"I am so thankful that Tracey stood up for my son and me. Tracey empowered me at the time when I felt victimized. I cannot recommend her enough – she is honest, faithful and resolute in her pursuit of results for special needs families."

J.M., Client

"My daughter is learning disabled and her needs were ignored by the school district for years. They never followed her recommended IEP, and when the elementary school gave her a 504 plan, at the start of Middle School the district removed the Plan without notifying me or my husband. The district gave my daughter a middle school diploma even though she had bad grades the whole time. In high school, she continued to struggle and started avoiding school. I didn't know the law then. I am a Spanish-speaking immigrant and we don't know what our legal rights are for school issues. I believed the school staff until I started to research how I could help my daughter. I decided I needed a lawyer to help me with this mess. I talked to 3 lawyers. They all told me there was nothing they could do until I found Tracey Walsh and I sent her all of the information. She told me she could help my daughter, and she did make this happen. She proved to our school district that, in fact, my daughter has a learning disability and ADD, and they finally offered to help my daughter without us having to go to court. Tracey's legal service made the district pay for all requested testing to prove my daughter had a disability, and after that, the school district held a resolution meeting with us and placed my daughter in a school that can help her with her problems. The district stopped ignoring my requests for help because they didn't want me to bring Tracey Walsh around. So now, my daughter is going to get the help that she needed for all these years, and only because of Tracey Walsh - she was the only lawyer that would get involved in my daughter's case."

Maria, Client

VIDEO TESTIMONIALS

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tracey@spencerwalshlaw.com
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Representing Children with Disabilities