THE TEAM

Nancy Rothenberg

Nancy Rothenberg, originally from Atlanta, Georgia, received her Bachelor’s degree from Tulane University in the double major of Political Science and English in 1990, and her Juris Doctorate from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in 1993. During her time in Law School she was awarded finalist in the National Moot Court competition and as a member of the Innocence Project, she was instrumental in the release of a defendant after 15 years of unlawful imprisonment.

Nancy divides her time between practicing Special Education Law, and helping the community, as it has always been her ambition to use her legal training to help people, especially those that cannot help themselves.

Nancy has been practicing Special Education Law for many years. She has represented parents of children with special needs through all stages of the special education legal process including meetings with committees on special education, due process hearings, and disciplinary hearings throughout the State and City of New York. In 2014, Nancy started her own firm, Law Offices of Nancy Rothenberg PLLC.

She began her law career in 1993 as a prosecutor in the Bronx District Attorney’s Office and for seven years prosecuted all manner of felonies, violent crimes and homicides. She also worked for two years as a guest commentator on Court TV in New York City.

Nancy went on to be a criminal defense attorney with the Putnam County Legal Aid Society. And as the Director of the Alliance for Safe Kids Youth Court Program in Yorktown Heights, NY, she designed the curriculum, taught high school students all aspects of the court system, and supervised actual court cases involving youthful offenders. As the Director of Youth Court, she was also a liaison to the New York Department of Probation, Yorktown Police Department, and Yorktown Judiciary.

Throughout her years of extensive trial and related litigation experience, including motion practice, hearings, trials and appeals, Nancy is devoted to helping parents obtain appropriate educational placements, programs and services. She has brought hundreds of due process complaints to decision against the New York City Department of Education. She frequently lectures to parent groups and special education associations.

Diane Aughtmon

Diane received an Associate in Applied Science degree in Rehabilitation Services for the Developmentally Disabled completing internships in special education and community residence management. Upon graduation, Diane was offered a position as a residential aid with United Cerebral Palsy Association as a residential facilities with children, adolescents, and adults.

Once her sons were born, both with special needs, Diane researched the special education process beginning with Early Intervention in order to be a well informed advocate for her boys.

She soon became the acting Parent Member for the Committee on Pre-School Special Education (CPSE) and Committee on Special Education (CSE) for the Niagara Falls City District, attending more than one hundred CPSE and CSE meetings at the District and the 13 elementary, middle, and high schools that were open at that time.

After realizing that other parents needed support, experience and understanding to navigate the special education process, Diane began to act as a lay-advocate assisting parents in the District in obtaining the services to which their children were entitled.

In 2002, Diane started employment as a Senior Paralegal for a special education law firm and continues to work in this position. She has been with LONR since 2016. She finds her work extremely rewarding and loves the bonds have been created with the families she serves as she helps them in their fight for appropriate education programs, placements and services for their children.

Di lives in Ransomville, New York with her husband and two loving sons (who attended and completed their education in public school, one earning a Regents diploma and one with an Individualized Education Program certificate of completion). She also adores her two "bonus children" and her granddaughter, Luciana.

Kristan Connolly

Kristan is an attorney who works Of Counsel for the Law Offices of Nancy Rothenberg. She has dedicated her legal career to helping to ensure that every student is afforded the opportunity to access their education in a meaningful way. At LONR, Kristan focuses her efforts on drafting due process complaints and closing briefs, as well as assisting in all areas of litigation. Prior to coming to LONR, she worked at a White Plains-based law firm where she worked on Office of State Review appeals and Federal Court appeals for special education cases in Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, and Dutchess counties.

Kristan earned her J.D, Cum laude, in 2013 from Pace University, where she was awarded the Pro Bono Justice Award for Extraordinary Service and the Public Interest Fellowship for 2011 and 2012. She earned her B.S. in Criminal Justice, Cum laude, in 2009 from Pace University, where she was a member of the National Criminal Justice Honors Society and where she participated in the school's Comparative Criminal Justice Program which traveled to Italy to experience the inner workings of Italy's criminal justice system. She is admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey as well as the United States District Courts for the Southern and Northern Districts of New York, and the District of New Jersey.

Kristan lives in Putnam County, New York with her husband and two daughters. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, and cooking

Naomi Abraham received her law degree from Columbia Law School in 2003, after obtaining a Masters in Social Work from Columbia University School of Social Work in 1994. In 2011, she began her legal practice representing parents and children whose special education needs were not being appropriately served by the NYC Department of Education. In September 2015, Naomi joined forces with the Law Offices of Nancy Rothenberg, PLLC, providing Of Counsel legal work, in addition to her solo practice, representing parents and children in impartial due process hearings.

Naomi has a background in mental health, child development, and disability rights, in addition to special education advocacy. She has worked with individuals through the entire developmental spectrum, from infancy to old age.

Naomi Abraham

Lisa Hershman

Lisa received her law degree from New York University School of Law in 2004 and her Master of Social Work from New York University School of Social Work in 2006. Lisa is also a certified New York State mediator with advanced training in special education mediation.

As an Associate Clinical Professor in charge of the Mediation Clinic at Hofstra Law, Lisa trained and supervised law students in mediations with youth involved in the juvenile justice system and taught classes on the theoretical, practical, and ethical aspect of mediating with children and families. Lisa also served as an Adjunct Professor at SUNY Purchase College, where she taught classes in Conflict Resolution and Family and the Law. She has designed peer mediation curricula for elementary through high-school students and conducted trainings for school personnel on best practices for handling intrastudent conflict.

Lisa has dedicated her career to helping children and families successfully navigate and pursue their rights within the criminal, juvenile justice, and educational systems. She joined the Law Offices of Nancy Rothenberg, PLLC, in 2024, where she provides Of Counsel legal representation to parents of children with special needs in all aspects of the special education litigation process.

Lisa lives in Port Washington, New York, with her husband, twin daughters, and pet bunny, Clover.

Elaine Brier is proud to be a native New Yorker from the Bronx. She has spent the better part of her life as a singer/comedienne in Manhattan. She started her performing career in her early twenties, singing in the piano bars and writing stand-up routines, and has since won several awards for her efforts. Elaine loves reading and has spent numerous years working in the book industry. She worked for fifteen years at the flagship branch of Barnes and Noble in just about every department of that store, including the Special Orders department which she managed for two years. She also worked for a remainder book company. She is thrilled to be able to put those people skills to use at our firm, where she enjoys working with parents to help them achieve their educational goals for their children.

Elaine is a single mom of three daughters. She recently returned to college and completed her BA in English Literature, graduating summa cum laude.