Lehigh University's College of Education

Spring 2009

ROSEMARY E. MULLALY joined the Pennsylvania Department of Education Office of Chief Counsel in 2007. She advises the Department on special education, funding and pupil personnel matters. She also acts as a liaison between the Office of Chief Counsel and the Office of Attorney General in litigation matters in state, federal trial and appellate courts throughout the Commonwealth. Before her appointment to PDE, Ms. Mullaly served as a Special Education Hearing Officer for the Office for Dispute Resolution. Prior to her service as a hearing officer, Ms. Mullaly was a consultant to school districts throughout the Commonwealth providing legal advice in non-adversarial special education matters and in-service training of professional and paraprofessional staff. She also has over ten years experience in private practice representing Pennsylvania school districts and intermediate units in special education and pupil personnel matters where she developed extensive knowledge of every aspect of the Pennsylvania system of administrative agency review of claims arising under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 through participation in over 100 special education due process matters. She has appeared at every level of the federal judiciary and in state court concerning education-related matters. Ms. Mullaly received her B.A. degree magna cum laude from St. Joseph’s University and her law degree cum laude from Boston College Law School. Ms. Mullaly’s extensive legal experience representing school entities throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, adjudicating disputes related to the provision of appropriate educational services to eligible students, and serving as counsel to the state educational agency coupled with her role as the parent of a child with special needs gives her a unique and comprehensive perspective on the application and implications of laws protecting the rights of children with disabilities.