Sterne & Walsh

Get the special education services your child is entitled to

About us

Our Approach

Every child is unique and we are dedicated to developing a plan that addresses your child's unique special education needs while listening to your concerns. We will work with you every step of the way to make sure you understand the District's obligations to address your child's special education needs and to make sure that you understand our firm's strategy for ensuring that your child gets the services he/she is entitled to.

Independent Educational Evaluations

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, you are entitled to an independent educational evaluation every time the Committee on Special Education (CSE) conducts an evaluation that you disagree with. We will walk you through the process of identifying what independent evaluations your child needs and, if necessary, initiating a due process hearing against your child's school district if they fail to provide the requested independent evaluation at district expense.

Due Process Hearings

Battling your child's school district can be intimidating, especially when there is so much at stake during a due process hearing. Jason and Jackie have years of experience presenting special education cases to impartial hearing officers and will make sure that your child's needs are presented in a compelling, informative way.

Compensatory Education

Oftentimes, when a school district has failed to offer your child a free appropriate public education (FAPE), a remedy available under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is compensatory education, i.e. services to get your child to the place they would be in if the district had provided appropriate services. Jason and Jackie will strive to get your child the compensatory educational services they are entitled to.

Our Team

Jason H. Sterne

Jason H. Sterne is a graduate of the University at Buffalo School of Law, graduating cum laude in 1996. He attended Temple University, receiving a B.A. in English. At law school, he was a senior member of the Buffalo Moot Court Board and the Jessup International Law Moot Court Board, and won Best Brief at the 1995 Desmond Moot Court Competition. At law school graduation, he received the Birzon Prize for Clinical Legal Studies. He is admitted to practice in New York State, the Western District of New York, Northern District of New York, and the Southern District of New York, and the U.S Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Jason was a senior attorney at a multi-state special education firm, for fifteen years. He has also served as counsel to a special education firm in Western New York for several years. Prior to committing to the full-time practice of special education law in 2005, Jason also practiced civil and criminal litigation in the Buffalo, New York area.

Jason has participated in the representation of nearly a thousand students with disabilities. He has prosecuted appeals of over a hundred special education hearings to the Office of State Review, and has taken hundreds of hearings to decision, as lead counsel or as co-counsel.

Notable recent decisions include A.M. v. N.Y. City Dep’t of Educ., 845 F.3d 523, 339 Ed. Law Rep. 22 (2nd Cir. 2017) and L.O. v. New York City Dep’t of Educ., 822 F.3d 95, 331 Ed. Law Rep. 609 (2nd Cir. 2016). Jason also argued the matter of Bd. of Ed. of Yorktown v. C.S., Docket 19-cv-270, in the Second Circuit in December 2019, and a decision is pending.

At Sterne & Walsh, PLLC Jason handles all aspects of the special education litigation process, from beginning to end, including the initial drafting of hearing requests, the impartial due process hearings and closing briefing, appeals to the Office of State Review, and resulting federal court litigation, including federal appeals to district courts and the courts of appeals, and fee recovery litigation in federal court.

Jacqueline M. Walsh

Jackie is a graduate of Albany Law School graduating cum laude in 1997. At Albany Law School, Jackie was a member of the law school's Journal of Science and Technology and a recipient of the Gary M. Peck Environmental Memorial Prize for her problem solving abilities and integrity. Jackie also has a B.A. in English from SUNY Geneseo and an M.A. in English from the University of Rochester. Jackie is admitted to practice in New York State and the

Northern District Court of NY.

Prior to forming Sterne & Walsh, PLLC Jackie was an associate attorney with a law firm focused on special education law for over eight years where she helped hundreds of families obtain educational services for their children through advocacy or litigation.

At Sterne & Walsh, PLLC Jackie will walk you through all stages of your case. From your initial consult where Jackie will review your records, assess your case and discuss with you next steps to preparing for a due process hearing against your child's school district, Jackie will make sure that you understand and are involved in the legal process from start to finish.