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Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP Welcomes New Associate
Murphy, Hesse, Toomey and Lehane, LLP is pleased to announce the addition of a new associate attorney. Mariem Marquetti graduated from Boston University School of Law in May 2021 and was formally admitted to the Massachusetts Bar earlier this month. She first joined MHTL is 2020 as a summer associate and worked as a law clerk for the firm once she returned to school. Ms. Marquetti officially joined MHTL as an associate in the fall of 2021.
Prior to law school, Ms. Marquetti graduated summa cum laude from Boston University where she obtained her Master’s and Bachelor’s in Political Science. While there, Ms. Marquetti searched through historical archives and conducted multiple interviews for her research on Cuba’s involvement in the Angolan Civil War. Her interest in this historical event stems from her background as a Cuban American and her father’s participation in said event. Ms. Marquetti also participated in panels and co-lectures as a guest speaker to discuss her research findings. In addition, she conducted extensive fieldwork study in the U.S. and in Havana for her Master’s thesis: In Search of Cuban Nationalism: Transcending Borders.
Ms. Marquetti also worked as an intern with the Massachusetts State Senate, specifically with the offices of Senators John Keenan, Daniel Wolf, and William Brownsberger. At the State Legislature, she compiled research to assist the senators and their staff on drafting legislative policy, prepared state-by-state analysis on various issues, and attended multiple committee hearings and senate assemblies. Additionally, during law school, Ms. Marquetti served as a Law Clerk in the International Narcotics and Money Laundering section of the Department of Justice U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami, where she assisted with drafting trial motions and conducted research on various federal criminal law issues. Ms. Marquetti also participated in the International Human Rights Clinic, competed in the Edward C. Stone Moot Court Competition in 2019, served as a Preceptor for the following year’s Stone Moot Court Competition in 2020, and competed in the University of Los Angeles California Cybersecurity Crimes Moot Court Competition in 2021.
Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane LLP is known throughout New England for its labor and employment practice as well as its extensive business litigation and advising employers on internal reviews and strategic legal approaches when dealing with the government. The firm also has an extensive education law practice representing public, private, and nonprofit educational institutions from pre-K through the college and university level.
United States Supreme Court Opens the Door for Special Education Students’ Right to Bypass Due Process Hearings When Also Suing School District for Money Damages Under ADA: Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools, 598 U.S. ___(2023)
In a unanimous ruling issued on March 21, 2023, the United States Supreme Court decided in favor of a 27-year-old deaf student who sued his Michigan school district, claiming he was denied the services of a qualified interpreter for years, and was misled by teachers and administrators about his progress in school. The student, Miguel Perez, only sought monetary damages. The Court held that he was free to sue the district for money damages due to discrimination under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Court found that he did not have to “exhaust his administrative remedies,” prior to bringing such an action for damages. The doctrine of exhaustion of administrative remedies in a case involving the rights of a disabled student requires a litigant to file and complete a due process hearing before an agency like the Bureau of Special Education Appeals (BSEA) on all claims stemming from a school district's requirement to provide a student with a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
United States Supreme Court Opens the Door for Special Education Students’ Right to Bypass Due Process Hearings When Also Suing School District for Money Damages Under ADA: Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools, 598 U.S. ___(2023)
In a unanimous ruling issued on March 21, 2023, the United States Supreme Court decided in favor of a 27-year-old deaf student who sued his Michigan school district, claiming he was denied the services of a qualified interpreter for years, and was misled by teachers and administrators about his progress in school. The student, Miguel Perez, only sought monetary damages. The Court held that he was free to sue the district for money damages due to discrimination under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Court found that he did not have to “exhaust his administrative remedies,” prior to bringing such an action for damages. The doctrine of exhaustion of administrative remedies in a case involving the rights of a disabled student requires a litigant to file and complete a due process hearing before an agency like the Bureau of Special Education Appeals (BSEA) on all claims stemming from a school district's requirement to provide a student with a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
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