Juliana Mascari

Handling all aspects of matters from start to finish, Juliana Mascari represents public school districts in special education and student services-related mediations and due process hearings. She also helps prepare witnesses, attends mediations, participates in Section 504 hearings, handles compliance complaint issues under the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the California Department of Education (CDE), as well as conducts uniform complaints procedure (UCP) investigations.

With a diligent, organized approach and an outstanding work ethic, Juliana works to ensure that clients stay compliant with relevant regulations and practices. Always striving to prevent problems from arising or minimize the duration of existing conflicts, she thoroughly enjoys collaborating with teams to further the districts’ best interests. This often includes steering clients to pursue an early resolution. When cases advance, she adeptly shepherds them through all necessary procedures.

Juliana maintains a great respect for the education profession. Influenced by her mother’s career as a teacher, Juliana worked as a teaching assistant in a kindergarten classroom throughout her undergraduate career. The job gave Juliana valuable insight into the inner workings of schools and school systems, the challenges that teachers and administrators face, and the importance of making strong connections among all school site team members. Juliana now particularly enjoys attending and participating in Individual Education Plan (IEP) meetings, where she can draw on both her teaching and legal expertise to help her clients best serve students.

When interacting with non-lawyers, Juliana uses plain, understandable language and avoids jargon and confusing terms so clients receive a clear picture of their circumstances. She aims to give pragmatic, real-world advice, recognizing that sometimes problems and questions crop up that don’t have clear-cut answers. In those situations, she presents options and guides them through the ramifications of each to help them come to the decision with which they’re most comfortable.

Prior to joining F3, Juliana clerked for the Appeals, Writs, and Trials Division of the California Attorney General’s Office and the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The positions developed and honed her excellent written and oral advocacy skills and her ability to work calmly and efficiently under great pressure. During law school, Juliana served as editor for the San Diego Law Review and worked as a legal research and writing teaching assistant.

With a firm belief that the public education system shapes community leaders, Juliana is grateful for the opportunity to facilitate school districts’ mission of enabling students to learn, thrive and shape the future in positive ways.