Rachel is a member of the Professional Liability Department, where she focuses her practice in the areas of employment law, civil rights, and education. As to the latter, Rachel handles special education matters arising under the IDEA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act at both the administrative and federal district court levels. She has also litigated Title IX claims and presented to local school districts on their Title IX obligations.
In 2021, Rachel graduated magna cum laude from the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law and was inducted to the Order of the Coif legal honor society. She was a recipient of the Dorothy Day Award, which recognizes students who have completed fifty hours or more of pro bono service during their time in law school.
As a law student, Rachel was involved in numerous extracurricular activities. She was a Staff Writer and Managing Editor of Student Works for the Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Journal, as well as a member of Villanova’s National Trial Team. She also worked as a research assistant in the areas of both sports law and tax law, conducting research into such varied topics as the impact of name/image/likeness legislation on college athletics, the sports industry’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the relationship between the income tax system and executive compensation.
In addition, Rachel held multiple internships and volunteer positions during her time at Villanova, working as a summer clerk in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, a Legal Services Coordinator for Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, and a Student Attorney for the Villanova University Clinic for Law & Entrepreneurship.
After graduating, Rachel was a law clerk for The Honorable Terrence R. Nealon in the Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas, and later an Associate Attorney with a Brooklyn-based law firm focusing on performing arts immigration.
Rachel is very active in her local community and the legal community. She serves on the Board of Directors of The Luzerne Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Further, she is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association's 2025-2026 Bar Leadership Institute class.
Year joined
2023
Results
Dismissal Affirmed by the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
Public Entity & Civil Rights Litigation
July 25, 2025
We successfully convinced the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania to affirm the Court of Common Pleas of Wayne County’s grant of our preliminary objections and dismissal of the plaintiff’s complaint in mandamus. In its complaint in mandamus to the Court of Common Pleas, the plaintiff argued that our client’s letter denying its plan and application for the development of solar panels was insufficient under the Municipalities Planning Code, thus entitling it to a deemed approval of its plan.
Summary Judgment Obtained in Complicated Case Brought Against Two Pennsylvania School Districts
School Leaders' Liability
September 27, 2024
We obtained summary judgment on behalf of two school districts in a matter brought by various plaintiffs against the Career and Technology Center of Lackawanna County (CTC) and four of its sending school districts. The plaintiffs had asserted claims under Title IX, the 14th Amendment, and Section 8542(b)(9) of the Pennsylvania Political Subdivision Tort Claims Act based on their sexual abuse by an automotive technology instructor at CTC.
Summary Judgment Granted in Sunshine Act Case
School Leaders' Liability
February 28, 2024
We obtained summary judgment in a Sunshine Act case in the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas. The plaintiff alleged that the school district violated the law by temporarily requiring school board meeting attendees to show photo identification to gain entry without holding a public vote prior to implementation of the measure. The court determined that this security measure did not constitute a policy requiring a public vote and that the plaintiff was not prevented from attending school board meetings because he possessed a valid driver’s license and chose not to produce it.
Unanimous Defense Verdict in Excessive Force Jury Trial
Public Entity & Civil Rights Litigation
September 13, 2023
We achieved a defense jury verdict in a 4th Amendment civil rights trial in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. The plaintiff alleged that two officers of our Northeastern Pennsylvania Police Department client used excessive force to transfer him from the police station’s processing room to a holding cell.
Thought Leadership
Legal Update for Special Education Law - Updates from the U.S. Department of Education
Scranton
School Leaders' Liability
November 1, 2025
Education Department Layoffs Hit Offices that Oversee Special Education and Civil Rights Enforcement
Legal Update for Special Education Law - Case Law Update
Scranton
School Leaders' Liability
April 1, 2025
Court Allows Supplementation of Record in Special Education Appeal, Weighing Child Find Obligations.Q.H. by and through Regan H. v. Scranton School Dist., 2025 WL 419529 (M.D. Pa. Feb. 6, 2025) Legal Update for Special Education Law - April 2025 is prepared by Marshall Dennehey to provide information on recent legal developments of interest t
Legal Update for Special Education Law - Updates from the Pennsylvania Department of Education
Scranton
School Leaders' Liability
April 1, 2025
Pennsylvania Sees Growth in Special Educators as State Invests $1M in Accelerated Certification Programs Legal Update for Special Education Law - April 2025 is prepared by Marshall Dennehey to provide information on recent legal development
Legal Update for Special Education Law - Updates from Office of Dispute Resolution
Scranton
School Leaders' Liability
February 1, 2025
The Office of Dispute Resolution has released its Annual Report for fiscal year 2023. Legal Update for Special Education Law - February 2025 is prepared by Marshall Dennehey to provide information on recent legal developm
Legal Update for Special Education Law - Updates from the U.S. Department of Education
Scranton
School Leaders' Liability
October 1, 2024
On September 12, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education and Office for Civil Rights released two new resources to help schools comply with the recent amendments to Title IX regulations, which became effective on August 1, 2024. Legal Update for Special Education Law - October 2024 is prepared by Marshall Dennehey to provide information on recent legal developments of interest
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