Current Employment Position(s)

Partner

Lawyer Overview

Leigh M. Manasevit has practiced in the field of education law since 1974 beginning as a trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. During his government service, Mr. Manasevit regularly appeared in Federal court representing the United States in civil rights cases involving educational institutions across the nation. His work included one case ultimately decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. He also defended the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) in cases where HEW was accused of overly vigorous enforcement of school civil rights cases. Mr. Manasevif s government experience has given him an extensive familiarity with the intricacies of navigating the Federal bureaucracy and managing school districts.

As one of the two founding partners of Brustein & Manasevit, Mr. Manasevit established a law practice that addresses the legal issues involving educational institutions public, private, elementary and secondary, or postsecondary on the Federal level. He has appeared extensively before all tribunals of the U.S. Department of Education and regularly pursues Federal court review of unfavorable agency decisions.

On the elementary and secondary level Mr Manasevit has worked extensively on No Child Left Behind (NCLB) He has advised and trained schools, districts, states, and private providers throughout the nation on implementation of NCLB. He has regularly served as a keynote speaker at national and statewide organizations of Title I professionals. He regularly advises recipients of Title I on implementation issues. Mr. Manasevit co-authored a comprehensive manual on No Child Left Behind, and its predecessor, the Improving America's Schools Act, and has provided editorial consultation on several revised editions. He has also written several articles on NCLB.

Mr. Manasevit also has a nationally recognized reputation in the area of special education. He has represented schools and school districts across the country in complex special education matters. When the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was reauthorized in 1997,and again in 2004 he co-authored a detailed how-to manual on the new law and conducted regional workshops and training on the provisions of that law. He regularly makes presentations to education groups on the requirements of this law.

Mr. Manasevit manages a higher education practice that covers all aspects of compliance with Title IV of the Higher Education Act. This practice includes changes of ownership, accreditation, and all adverse actions brought by the U.S. Department of Education. He has represented institutions before all tribunals of the U.S. Department of Education, all major accreditation agencies as well as in Federal Courts.

Mr. Manasevit is an honors graduate from the University of Connecticut School of Law. He received his undergraduate degree from Columbia University in New York City. He is a member of the California Bar, the District of Columbia Bar, the Bar of the United States Supreme Court, and several bars of the United States Court of Appeals.

Areas of practice

• Administrative Hearings & Adjudication
• Administrative Investigations
• Administrative Rulemaking
• Colleges & Universities
• Police Misconduct
• Private Schools
• Public Schools
• Regulatory Enforcement
• Special Education
• Student Rights

Representative Clients

• Puerto Rico Department of Education
• California Department of Education
• Los Rios Community College District

West Practice Categories

Administrative Hearings & Adjudication, Administrative Investigations, Administrative Rulemaking, Regulatory Enforcement, Police Misconduct, Colleges & Universities, Private Schools, Public Schools, Special Education, Student Rights

Bar Admissions

California, 1975
District of Columbia, 1979
U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia, 1980
U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit, 1977
U.S. Supreme Court, 1981

Past Employment Positions

U.S. Department of Justice, Trial Attorney, Civil Rights Division, 1974 - 1979
U.S. Department of Energy, Assistant Solicitor to the Special Counsel, 1979 - 1980

Education

University of Connecticut School of Law, Hartford, Connecticut
J.D.
Honors: With Honors
Law Review: Connecticut Law Review, Associate Editor, 1972 - 1974
Columbia University, New York City, New York
B.A.
Major: Anthropology
Major: Sociology

Published Works

• IDEA New Expectations for Schools & Students, Thompson Publishing, 2005
• New Title I, Balancing Flexibility with Accountability, Thompson Publishing, 2002

Address

3105 South Street, NW
Washington, DC20007

Phones

(202) 965-3652
(800) 914-8212 (Toll Free)

Faxes

(202) 965-8913

Emails

Contact Us

Firmsite Urls

http://www.bruman.com