Compassionate. Incisive. Dedicated.


…But what does that even mean?

We get it. Just navigating the education system is stressful enough without bringing lawyers into it. Yet here you are, reading as we describe ourselves in three words: compassionate, incisive, and dedicated. We chose these words with care, to show you exactly what we bring to the table.

Consider this: if you are here, reading these words, something just isn't right.

It doesn't matter whether your child is struggling academically, socially, or even with a hostile school administration. We want to help in any way we can. That's the compassionate part.

What's more, we want to set things right quickly and efficiently. At Gottlieb & Wang LLP, we tailor assertive client-side strategies for each individual case. We have represented the districts, employers, and schools on the other side of the very cases we now litigate. That means we can anticipate what opposing counsel might do, and we work in advance to foreclose those strategies so we can resolve your dispute early. Internally, we employ cutting edge case-management technologies to reduce operating expenses while increasing productivity. We do this to help ensure that your claim is resolved at minimal expense, with minimal confusion. That’s what makes us incisive.

Finally, we are dedicated to education rights and protection from discrimination. We believe that a society should be judged by how it treats its most vulnerable members, and that the first step to eradicating systemic barriers is to accord individuals and families the caliber of legal advocacy typically reserved for wealthy corporate interests. At Gottlieb & Wang LLP, you will find a team deeply and personally committed to the advancement and protection of your and your children’s rights. We fight for you because we care—about you, your child, and those who will follow in your footsteps. We are lawyers who love what we do.

To us, your case is more than just a case, and what we do is so much more than a job.

Still uncertain? Get in touch for a consultation!


We know that merely choosing to hire an attorney, let alone committing to one, is a major decision. Whether you want to understand your rights, identify your goals, or just hear what a lawyer can do for you in your situation, we are here to help.

We have offices conveniently located in downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn Heights, conveniently located within easy walking distance of federal courthouses and the Impartial Hearing Office of the New York City Department of Education. We are proud to represent working and single parents and would be happy to work around your schedule.

Members of our legal team are licensed to practice law in the State of New York, the District of Columbia, the District of Colorado, the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, and in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second and Ninth Circuits.

Screen Shot 2021-06-04 at 1.36.34 PM.png

Our Team


FOUNDING PARTNER

Marc Gottlieb

Marc Gottlieb has been an advocate for children and education rights for over a decade. In that time, he has pursued claims on behalf of thousands of families in administrative hearings, appeals to the Office of State Review, and in federal court. Admitted to practice in New York State and the Southern District of New York, Marc has also litigated in numerous landmark federal cases, perhaps most notably on matters concerning the substantive adequacy of public school placements.

Marc takes great pride in the marked contrast between his blithely good-natured approach to clients and his dogged tenacity in litigation. In addition to hosting know-your-rights workshops throughout New York City, Marc is a frequent guest lecturer at New York University and Lehman College of the City University of New York, and is a published authority on the law of placement in the Least Restrictive Environment.

Education

BENJAMIN N. CARDOZO SCHOOL OF LAW: Juris Doctor, 2011

VASSAR COLLEGE: B.A., 2007

Activities & Affiliations

New York State Bar Association, Member

Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Member

 

MANAGING PARTNER

Qian Julie Wang

Lauded by clients as "exceptionally talented” and “exemplary,” Qian Julie Wang has represented Fortune 500 corporations, individuals, and governmental entities in complex civil suits for over a decade. She has a history of securing record-setting settlements and establishing new precedent, including on appeal.

Formerly a commercial litigator, Qian Julie now advocates for education, disability, and civil rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Americans with Disability Act, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Because she also has experience defending against education and discrimination suits, she has unique insight into the defense arguments and strategically builds cases from the ground up in ways that lead to swift and successful resolution.

Qian Julie also has in-depth appellate expertise: she has clerked on two appellate courts, including the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and has litigated nearly 50 civil appeals, including amicus briefs filed before the U.S. Supreme Court. Qian Julie is known for her unique gift of storytelling, which, coupled with her aggressive approach to litigation, has led to record-setting results, often even prior to formal litigation.

Also a sought-after author and speaker, Qian Julie has written for major publications such as the New York Times and the Washington Post. Her first book, Beautiful Country: A Memoir of An Undocumented Childhood, a literary memoir about her experiences living as an undocumented immigrant child in New York City, debuted at number three on the New York Times Bestsellers list. Beautiful Country was a Today Show Read with Jenna pick, lauded as an "essential book for our times," and named a best book of 2021 by the New York Times, President Obama, NPR, Newsweek, and Good Housekeeping, among many others.

Given the enormous demands on her time and her dedication to quality representation, Qian Julie takes on cases very selectively, including pro bono immigration cases on behalf of immigrant children and unaccompanied minors.

Education

YALE LAW SCHOOL: Juris Doctor, 2012
(Yale Law Journal, Executive Development Editor)

SWARTHMORE COLLEGE: B.A., 2009

Judicial Clerkships

The Honorable Morgan Christen, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (2014-2015)

The Honorable Peter Maassen, Alaska Supreme Court (2012-2013)

Activities & Affiliations

New York City Bar Association, Member

Asian American Bar Association of New York, Member

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit Pro Bono Attorneys Panel, Member

 

ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY

Christina Alicea

Christina Alicea is a compassionate attorney committed to serving marginalized students with disabilities and helping impacted families navigate the legal system. Before joining Gottlieb & Wang LLP, Christina was a Staff Attorney in the Education Matters Unit at Prisoners’ Legal Services of New York, a group they helped form as a law school intern. Christina successfully assisted individuals in New York State prisons with their academic and vocational education while also engaging in civil rights advocacy and litigation in cases involving claims of unconstitutional conditions of confinement, prolonged placement in solitary confinement, deliberate indifference to severe mental health and medical needs, excessive use of force and sentence computation issues.

Christina’s passion for education rights and knowledge of the racial/ethnic disproportionality in special education are primarily informed by their own experiences as a disabled Latinx student in the public school system. Christina seeks to ensure that schools are cultivating a learning environment in which all students, regardless of disability status, are cared for and have access to the resources needed to thrive.

Education

UNIVERSITY OF BUFFALO: Juris Doctor, 2021

JOHN JAY COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK: B.S., 2018

 

OFFICE DIRECTOR

Stephanie Wills

As office director at Gottlieb & Wang LLP, Stephanie takes great personal pride in ensuring that our settlement agreements and hearing decisions are implemented quickly and efficiently. With over twenty-five years experience as a full charge bookkeeper and accounting supervisor for high-volume litigation firms, Stephanie possesses the keen insight and attention to detail that our clients can rely on.

Though much of her work takes place behind the scenes, Stephanie’s contributions are indispensable to the resolution of our clients’ claims. Stephanie’s singular expertise; skillful communication with clients, the Department of Education, and schools; and wholehearted determination are a large part of what makes our firm the very best.