Catherine Merino Reisman

Professional Experience

Catherine Merino Reisman is a founding partner of Reisman Carolla Gran & Zuba LLP, providing consultation and guidance regarding the legal rights of children and adults with disabilities. She represents clients in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and nationally in administrative hearings as well as federal and state court. She also specializes in preparing appellate, trial briefs and closing arguments in state intermediate appellate courts, state supreme courts of appeal, and federal courts of appeal in disability rights cases. Upon graduation from law school, she was a clerk to the Honorable Edward N. Cahn, Chief Judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Catherine then practiced employment law at a small Philadelphia firm for several years. Before forming Reisman Carolla Gran & Zuba, she was “Of Counsel” to a regional mid-sized law firm, where she co-chaired the Special Education practice group in addition to handling appellate, commercial, and employment litigation.

Professional and Community Associations

From 2008 to 2021, Catherine was a member of the Board of Directors of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (“COPAA”), a national independent, nonprofit, tax-exempt organization of attorneys, advocates and parents. From 2011 to 2012, she served as the Chair of COPAA’s Board. From 2008 to the present, Catherine has served as Co-Chair of COPAA’s Amicus Committee. In that capacity, she has represented COPAA as a “friend of the court” in dozens of cases in the federal courts of appeal and two cases in the Supreme Court of the United States. She is a former parent member of the Program Advisory Board to the New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Education. Catherine speaks regularly to groups of parents and attorneys regarding special education, civil rights, and disability rights.

Admitted to Practice

Catherine is admitted to practice in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York and before the United States Supreme Court, United States Courts of Appeals for the Second, Third, Fifth, Sixth, Eights, and Ninth Circuits, and the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania; District of New Jersey; Southern, Eastern, and Northern Districts of New York; District of Connecticut; and Southern District of Texas.

Education

Catherine graduated magna cum laude in 1985 with a B.A. degree from New York University, where she majored in French and Italian, was a Presidential Scholar, and a recipient of the Founders Day Award. In 1989, she earned a J.D. degree from Yale Law School where she was a note editor of the Yale Law Journal, a founding member of Yale Journal of Law and Feminism, and a director of the Labor Law Project and Student-Funded Fellowships.