School Law
Civil Litigation

Alison joined Wadleigh Starr in 2005. Her primary practice area is in the field of school law, and she represents school districts throughout the state on a variety of issues, including federal and state special education law. She is the co-author of several articles in the field of school law, and has lectured on special education law.


Alison is a member of the New Hampshire Bar Association and the New Hampshire Council of School Attorneys.



Alison graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy in 1998. She received a B.A. in Psychology from Brandeis University in 2002 (cum laude), and earned her J.D. from Franklin Pierce Law Center in 2005. From 2004-2005, she was the Editor-in-Chief of the Pierce Law Review.



Alison was admitted to practice in New Hampshire and in the U.S. District Court, District of New Hampshire in 2005. In 2007, she was admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit



Burke v. Brookline School District, 257 Fed.Appx. 335 (1st Cir. 2007), cert. denied by, Burke v. Brookline School District, 128 S.Ct. 2934 (U.S. 2008).
Kasenia R. v. Brookline School District, 588 F.Supp.2d 175 (D.N.H. 2008).



  • A Brief Overview of the ADA Amendments Act of 2008
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  • The Intersection of Pending Legislation and Special Education
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  • Special Education Case Law: An Overview of Recent Decisions (2010)
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  • Conflict Resolution: The Art and Science of Mediating Disputes in Special Education Matters
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  • "Why I Slugged Mikey": A Review of How the Law Responds to Bullies
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  • Understanding Section 504
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  • Understanding the IDEA
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  • Best Practices in School District Procurement
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  • Special Education Case Law: An Overview of Recent Decisions (2009)
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  • When Does the School Day End?: After School Activities, Transportation and Extended Year Programming
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  • Key Changes to the New Hampshire Rules for the Education of Students with Disabilities
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  • Identifying, Preventing, and Responding to Disability-Based Harassment
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  • Avoiding and Defending Retaliation Claims Under Section 504 and the IDEA
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  • Bullying, Sexual Harassment, and Racial Insensitivity
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  • Dealing with Discipline Issues Under the IDEA and Section 504
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  • Access to Public Records Under New Hampshire's RSA 91-A
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  • Me Too! Inclusion, Assistive Technology, and Medically Fragile Students
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  • The Discipline of Student Discipline: Understanding the Due Process Requirements and Legal Criteria for Disciplining Students, Including Students With Educational Disabilities
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  • An Educator's Obligations Under New Hampshire Law and the New IDEA
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  • Legal Aspects in Recruiting, Hiring and Contracting Employees
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  • Lingering Questions about Identification, Team Participation and the Manifestation Determination
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  • First and Fourth Amendment Issues in Schools
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  • A Summary of Student Rights
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