Bill Brownley
Bill Brownley is a proven attorney with extensive experience, adept in all forms of negotiation and trial work. He has served as general counsel to many public and private corporations, including Telos, The Financial News Network (now CNBC), United Press International, and The Learning Channel. Over the last 15 years, Bill has focused exclusively on special education. He has successfully handled matters ranging from eligibility issues to due process cases and discipline matters. He has also placed many children with special needs in public and private school settings, including residential placements when necessary.
Bill has lectured, delivered seminars, and written extensively on special education law and advocacy. He strives to establish a cooperative, results-oriented relationship with school districts, expecting them to show a willingness to work with the child’s needs as the primary focus. This approach has served to bring many matters to successful and economic conclusions for children with special needs and their parents. If school districts are unwilling to support the child’s needs as the leading focus, he is well-versed in alternative measures that can bring them back to the forefront. Bill believes all children are entitled to a free and appropriate education, and looks forward to helping you and your child get the assistance they deserve.
Vanessa Brownley
Vanessa Brownley is the senior and managing advocate for The Brownley Law Group. As a leading advocate with over 15 years experience, she has successfully represented children with special needs of all types throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, and as far-reaching as Vermont, Florida, and Illinois. She has lectured extensively on many special education topics. Vanessa has also provided multi-day training seminars for beginning advocates across the United States at the request of national organizations. Her expertise and knowledge make her a highly regarded and sought-after specialist in both special education and negotiation.
Vanessa is passionate about education and believes deeply that each child is entitled to the individualized education they need to be successful in school and in life. She crafts individual educational plans that work well in public school settings. She has also placed numerous children at private day and residential school settings, at the school’s expense, when that is what a child needs. Vanessa works to develop a personal, caring relationship with each of her clients and is committed to securing a bright future for all children with special needs.
John Frye
John Frye is a former Fairfax County school teacher with over 30 years experience. He has been an advocate and consultant for The Brownley Law Group since 2006. He has a bachelor’s degree in education from the College of William and Mary and his Master of Education in Reading, Curriculum, and Supervision of Instruction from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. John has also attained post-graduate accreditation in both general and special education from a variety of area schools, including University of Virginia, Marymount University, and George Mason University. During his time as a public school classroom teacher, John was involved with the instruction and supervision of special needs students. He also participated in the creation and implementation of many Individualized Education Programs.
Peter Lengyel
Peter Lengyel has spent time in a variety of educational settings. During his undergraduate studies at Marymount University, he worked as a one-to-one aide and tutored students of all ages and backgrounds from early elementary to post-secondary. Upon graduation, he developed programs for a DC-area educational nonprofit focusing on creative and expository writing. Most recently, Peter was an administrator at a local alternative secondary school where much of his work focused on helping students transition into the school environment.
Resulting from his assorted personal and professional experiences, Peter brings an empathetic and adaptive approach to each case. As an advocate, he works to establish positive working relationships between the family and school to ensure each student is provided with the most appropriate education necessary. Furthermore, his attention to detail lends itself to concise data analysis and reporting.
Stephanie Brownley
Stephanie Brownley received her bachelor’s degree from University of Mary Washington, majoring in psychology and minoring in chemistry. She worked as an advocate for The Brownley Law Group for two years and then made the decision to go to law school. While at George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School, Stephanie was part of the National Security Journal. She also interned with a circuit court judge at the Fairfax Courthouse and worked with George Mason’s law and mental illness clinic, where she regularly attended involuntary commitment hearings. She graduated and passed the Virginia bar in 2019. As a special education attorney, Stephanie appreciates the value of a good education that is accessible to children with all types of needs.
Photo Credit:
Tim Coburn Photography
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