Civil Rights. Disability Rights. Education.
A civil rights law firm that pursues justice.
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About Us
Barajas & Rivera APC is a plaintiff’s law firm with a focus on complex civil rights litigation, including special education. We are dedicated to representing individuals who have been mistreated on the basis of their disability, race, gender identity, national origin, religion, age, familial status, source of income, or sexual orientation. We believe in using the power of law to protect civil rights and to advance justice.
Founded on a willingness and ability to take on challenging complex civil rights cases, Barajas & Rivera is dedicated to fighting discrimination, retaliation and segregation with the goal of creating a more inclusive and equitable world. The attorneys at Barajas & Rivera also understand the emotional and financial turmoil that can be involved when enforcing your rights. With nearly thirty years of collective experience, our clients can expect creative, skillful and zealous representation. Our clients get the benefit of considerable knowledge, experience and intense personal commitment.
Barajas & Rivera APC is a civil rights law firm that litigates complex civil rights matters, including special education. We also provide limited scope representation tailored to meet the individual needs and goals of our clients based on their unique circumstances. Our attorneys have made this field their life’s work; they push boundaries and break legal ground. We are dedicated to fighting discrimination, retaliation and segregation on behalf of individuals who have been harmed on the basis of their disability, race, gender identity, national origin, religion, age, familial status, source of income, or sexual orientation.
PRACTICE AREAS
Civil Rights
Barajas & Rivera’s civil rights practice focuses on representing clients who have been harmed on the basis of their disability, race, gender identity, national origin, religion, age, familial status, source of income, or sexual orientation. We protect the constitutional and statutory rights of individuals to be free from discrimination at work, in housing, in education, and in government services, as well as in places of public accommodation such as restaurants, hospitals, retail establishments, and other businesses open to the public.
The attorneys at Barajas & Rivera have significant experience representing clients who have had their civil rights violated. We have successfully enforced the constitutional and statutory rights that protect individuals from discrimination in an array of settings, including places of public accommodations, businesses, housing, custodial settings, hospitals, medical offices, the workplace, and education (general, special and higher education).
Disability Rights
Barajas & Rivera’s disability rights practice focuses on clients whose civil and constitutional rights have been violated on the basis of their disability. Federal and state anti-discrimination statutes prohibit individuals from being treated differently on the basis of disability. For instance, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits disability-based discrimination in places of public accommodations, such as restaurants, retail stores and other businesses open to the public. Title II of the ADA requires that state and local governments give people with disabilities an equal opportunity to benefit from all of their programs, services, and activities (e.g. public education, employment, transportation, recreation, health care, social services, courts, voting and town meetings).
The attorneys at Barajas & Rivera have extensive experience in protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities through litigation and other limited scope representation tailored to meet our client’s unique needs and circumstances. We have represented clients in a wide variety of public accommodation cases against hospitals, movie theaters, doctors’ offices, amusement parks, universities, homeowners’ associations and other entities. We have also represented clients who have been provided unequal services from state and local governments by bringing claims against cities, counties, public schools (including charter schools), universities, police departments, correctional facilities and hospitals. We have successfully challenged the failure to provide accessible facilities, effective communication for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, accommodations and/or modifications, accessible medical or recreational equipment, as well as the failure to allow the use of service or emotional support animals. Our attorneys have also served as counsel for disability advocacy organizations in civil rights cases that have advanced equality for persons with disabilities in government programs, services and activities and businesses throughout California.
Education & Special Education
Barajas & Rivera’s education practice protects educational equality, school integration, and a student’s right to special education through litigation and other limited scope representation tailored to meet our client’s unique needs and circumstances. We also represent students who have been the target of discrimination, harassment, segregation, retaliation or bullying on the basis disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, race, religion and other classes protected under the law as well as students who have been harmed by an entities’ negligent supervision, hiring or retention of employees. The firm focuses on all aspects of education from preschool through higher education.
The attorneys at Barajas & Rivera have a long history of obtaining significant relief for clients who have been denied equal access to their education. We have brought and successfully resolved claims that resulted in district-wide policy changes and training, removal of physical barriers to facilities, provision of reasonable accommodations (such as Braille materials, iPads, and communication devices), special education and related services, non-public school placements, residential placements, testing accommodations and more. They have also successfully filed complaints with the California Department of Education and the Office for Civil Rights on behalf of students whose rights have been violated at school.
With respect to special education matters, the attorneys at Barajas & Rivera also provide the following limited scope representation:
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Initial Referral Letters
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Referrals for Evaluation and Services
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Record Requests
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Educational Consultation and Planning
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Letters to School Districts
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Reimbursement Requests
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Representation at IEP, IPP, IFSP and Section 504 Meetings
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Representation at Manifestation Determination and Expulsion Hearings
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Special Education Due Process Hearings
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Informal Dispute Resolution
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Compliance Complaints
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Office of Civil Rights Complaints
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Mediations
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Appeals
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Parent Training Programs
OUR ATTORNEYS
Maronel Barajas
PARTNER
Tel: (714) 443-0120
Anna Rivera
PARTNER
Tel: (714) 443-0119
CONTACT US
1440 N. Harbor Blvd. Suite 900
Fullerton, CA 92835
Tel & Fax: (714) 443-0096
For any general inquiries, please fill in the following contact form:
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