Colleen A. Snyder
Partner
Since graduating from law school in 2010, Colleen has worked on behalf of families throughout California to ensure their students enjoy meaningful and equal access to the human right of education. Colleen has successfully represented students through every step of the process, from IEP meetings to mediations, administrative due process hearings, and appeals. She has substantial experience in state and federal courts, and has helped students prevail in matters before both the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal and the California Court of Appeal.
Colleen has an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Santa Clara University. She strives to learn as much as possible about her clients and their unique needs in order to obtain meaningful and impactful outcomes. As a mother herself, Colleen understands a parent’s job is to protect and advocate for their children, and she is proud to assist families in this challenging but rewarding work.
Colleen has an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Santa Clara University. She strives to learn as much as possible about her clients and their unique needs in order to obtain meaningful and impactful outcomes. As a mother herself, Colleen understands a parent’s job is to protect and advocate for their children, and she is proud to assist families in this challenging but rewarding work.
Daniel R. Shaw
Partner
Daniel has spent years representing hundreds of children and families throughout the State of California in special education, civil rights, and personal injury cases. His career began working as a Service Coordinator for the Regional Center system. He learned first hand the challenges that children with disabilities and their families faced advocating for appropriate services.
As a parent of a child with special needs, Daniel has sat on all sides of the table. Daniel knows first-hand what it's like to have a child with special needs and be faced with numerous obstacles to their success. His daughter helped shaped his passion for the law and the families he serves.
Daniel is an expert litigator with extensive experience litigating at the administrative level, district and state court, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He has obtained numerous successes before the Office of Administrative Hearings, the U.S. District Court, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Daniel only accepts a handful of cases each year. He prides himself on providing the highest quality representation. Daniel is highly respected by numerous experts throughout the state who often seek his advice. There are very few attorneys in the State of California who match his passion and expertise.
As a parent of a child with special needs, Daniel has sat on all sides of the table. Daniel knows first-hand what it's like to have a child with special needs and be faced with numerous obstacles to their success. His daughter helped shaped his passion for the law and the families he serves.
Daniel is an expert litigator with extensive experience litigating at the administrative level, district and state court, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He has obtained numerous successes before the Office of Administrative Hearings, the U.S. District Court, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Daniel only accepts a handful of cases each year. He prides himself on providing the highest quality representation. Daniel is highly respected by numerous experts throughout the state who often seek his advice. There are very few attorneys in the State of California who match his passion and expertise.
Colleen A. Snyder
Associate Attorney
Melissa grew up in western Oregon, where she lived in Eugene, Corvallis, Portland, and Ashland. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Portland State University, along with a social services certificate.
She went on to earn an Oregon Teaching Credential from Lewis and Clark College.
Melissa worked in a variety of roles after graduation, including as a substitute teacher in all grades, and as an advertising executive representing banks and well-known national businesses.
Melissa worked as a Research Assistant for Educational Testing Service, where she spent her time in all grade levels, subject areas, and with students with many different types of disability. In that setting, she observed social interactions between students with special needs and others in multiple school districts in Jackson County, Oregon.
Later, she was a Vocational Specialist in Jackson County in an alternative educational program, where she worked to find and monitor appropriate jobsites for students with disabilities to increase their independent living and employment skills. In this role, she was a member of many IEP Teams to develop appropriate vocational goals.
It was here she fell in love with alternative education and working with students with complex presentations and special needs.
After obtaining dual teaching credentials, which was a requirement to teach in an alternative setting in Oregon, she worked as a teacher in the County Office of Education alternative school in Jackson County, Oregon, where she was responsible for managing all educational needs for many students, from intake to graduation. Most of these students had special needs and had complex family dynamics.
In 1985, Melissa moved to California, where she worked as a continuation high school teacher. For approximately 25 years, she taught world history, U.S. history, American government, psychology, and economics. She taught English/Language Arts for approximately 5 years. In both subject areas, her classes contained students of every ability level; many had IEPs or 504 plans. She worked collaboratively with special education teachers, resource specialists, counselors, and nurses to provide input and implement the plans as required.
Melissa was drawn to the alternative education setting, as it provided her with the opportunity to be creative in her instructional techniques and materials to meet her students’ unique needs.
In her role as a continuation high school teacher, she served as an academic advisor to her students. This gave her extensive experience reviewing transcripts, educational records, assessment reports, and counseling students to support them in accessing their educations. She also spent countless hours working with parents to provide information regarding student progress and school expectations.
She served as a Master Teacher to several student teachers. She was selected to serve as a Mentor Teacher in the District multiple times, each time she applied for the competitive honor. She served as a trainer of beginning teachers for several years. She then served as a trainer for trainers for beginning teachers.
She was a teacher-coach for more than a decade for her students as they competed county-wide in the Constitutional Rights Foundation Mock Trial competition. Her students won high honors and recognition from legal professionals for their understanding of the issues, criminal trial procedure, skill, and poise in the courtroom.
In addition, she earned a master’s degree in school administration as well as am administrative credential from Cal Poly.
She served as a summer school principal, overseeing programs for 1200 students from kindergarten to twelfth grade on six school sites, including ESY and students in regular classes with IEPs.
Melissa has always been fascinated with the law and her time as a teacher coach for the Mock Trial team sparked the idea for a new career as a lawyer. She took the opportunity to attend law school during the final years of her teaching career.
She passed the California Bar exam in July 2017, joined the Snyder & Shaw LLP, and has successfully melded her experiences in Alternative and Special Education with legal representation of students whose needs are not appropriately met.
She went on to earn an Oregon Teaching Credential from Lewis and Clark College.
Melissa worked in a variety of roles after graduation, including as a substitute teacher in all grades, and as an advertising executive representing banks and well-known national businesses.
Melissa worked as a Research Assistant for Educational Testing Service, where she spent her time in all grade levels, subject areas, and with students with many different types of disability. In that setting, she observed social interactions between students with special needs and others in multiple school districts in Jackson County, Oregon.
Later, she was a Vocational Specialist in Jackson County in an alternative educational program, where she worked to find and monitor appropriate jobsites for students with disabilities to increase their independent living and employment skills. In this role, she was a member of many IEP Teams to develop appropriate vocational goals.
It was here she fell in love with alternative education and working with students with complex presentations and special needs.
After obtaining dual teaching credentials, which was a requirement to teach in an alternative setting in Oregon, she worked as a teacher in the County Office of Education alternative school in Jackson County, Oregon, where she was responsible for managing all educational needs for many students, from intake to graduation. Most of these students had special needs and had complex family dynamics.
In 1985, Melissa moved to California, where she worked as a continuation high school teacher. For approximately 25 years, she taught world history, U.S. history, American government, psychology, and economics. She taught English/Language Arts for approximately 5 years. In both subject areas, her classes contained students of every ability level; many had IEPs or 504 plans. She worked collaboratively with special education teachers, resource specialists, counselors, and nurses to provide input and implement the plans as required.
Melissa was drawn to the alternative education setting, as it provided her with the opportunity to be creative in her instructional techniques and materials to meet her students’ unique needs.
In her role as a continuation high school teacher, she served as an academic advisor to her students. This gave her extensive experience reviewing transcripts, educational records, assessment reports, and counseling students to support them in accessing their educations. She also spent countless hours working with parents to provide information regarding student progress and school expectations.
She served as a Master Teacher to several student teachers. She was selected to serve as a Mentor Teacher in the District multiple times, each time she applied for the competitive honor. She served as a trainer of beginning teachers for several years. She then served as a trainer for trainers for beginning teachers.
She was a teacher-coach for more than a decade for her students as they competed county-wide in the Constitutional Rights Foundation Mock Trial competition. Her students won high honors and recognition from legal professionals for their understanding of the issues, criminal trial procedure, skill, and poise in the courtroom.
In addition, she earned a master’s degree in school administration as well as am administrative credential from Cal Poly.
She served as a summer school principal, overseeing programs for 1200 students from kindergarten to twelfth grade on six school sites, including ESY and students in regular classes with IEPs.
Melissa has always been fascinated with the law and her time as a teacher coach for the Mock Trial team sparked the idea for a new career as a lawyer. She took the opportunity to attend law school during the final years of her teaching career.
She passed the California Bar exam in July 2017, joined the Snyder & Shaw LLP, and has successfully melded her experiences in Alternative and Special Education with legal representation of students whose needs are not appropriately met.
Colleen A. Snyder
Associate Attorney
Julia received a B.A. in English from the University of California, Davis, as well as her J.D. from McGeorge School of Law. She has worked in special education law since 2019, providing a voice for those who cannot advocate for themselves. In June 2023, she joined Snyder & Shaw to continue helping families navigate through due process and secure appropriate educational placements.
Julia also has a personal connection to the special education world, as she remains a dedicated caregiver to her younger sister with severe developmental disabilities. She understands a family's frustration with every setback, and the triumph of every step forward, big or small, for a child with exceptional needs. Julia is dedicated to providing zealous advocacy for her clients and obtaining apprpriate education programs their children deserve.
Julia also has a personal connection to the special education world, as she remains a dedicated caregiver to her younger sister with severe developmental disabilities. She understands a family's frustration with every setback, and the triumph of every step forward, big or small, for a child with exceptional needs. Julia is dedicated to providing zealous advocacy for her clients and obtaining apprpriate education programs their children deserve.
Colleen A. Snyder
Associate Attorney
Alyssa is an associate attorney at Snyder & Shaw LLP. Since graduating from law school in 2021, she has built a robust foundation of legal expertise, representing clients in the areas of family law and special education law. Alyssa has since elected to focus on special education law exclusively. She has zealously represented children with special needs, assisting their families to make sense of a complex educational system and helping them achieve their long-term objectives.
Alyssa’s personal experiences drive her work and devotion to her clients. As a mother of two children with special needs, including one who is medically complex, she understands the difficulties parents face and the unique challenges of trying to overcome the many obstacles that commonly prevent parents from obtaining necessary services for their children.
Alyssa’s personal experiences drive her work and devotion to her clients. As a mother of two children with special needs, including one who is medically complex, she understands the difficulties parents face and the unique challenges of trying to overcome the many obstacles that commonly prevent parents from obtaining necessary services for their children.
Colleen A. Snyder
Bilingual Paralegal
Connie Mariscal is a dedicated certified bilingual paralegal with over twenty five years of experience in special education.
Before transitioning to her role as a paralegal, Connie worked as a Correctional Counselor for the California Department of Corrections for over ten years. After her son was diagnosed with autism she decided to switch careers and started educating herself on special education laws and IEP advocacy.
Fluent in both English and Spanish, Connie excels in bridging communication gaps for clients navigating the special education process and ensuring that their voices are heard and understood.
She serves as a board member for a local non profit Families for Early Autism Treatment and has done multiple presentations in the community for families and professionals in English and Spanish.
Before transitioning to her role as a paralegal, Connie worked as a Correctional Counselor for the California Department of Corrections for over ten years. After her son was diagnosed with autism she decided to switch careers and started educating herself on special education laws and IEP advocacy.
Fluent in both English and Spanish, Connie excels in bridging communication gaps for clients navigating the special education process and ensuring that their voices are heard and understood.
She serves as a board member for a local non profit Families for Early Autism Treatment and has done multiple presentations in the community for families and professionals in English and Spanish.
Colleen A. Snyder
Paralegal
Melissa Jansen grew up in England where she attended school at Bournemouth College, gaining a degree in Art and Design before moving back to her birthplace in California.
Her entrance into the legal arena began when her children were abducted by their father to Europe. Melissa had no funds to hire an attorney and instead researched how to file a Hague Convention Petition. It took her almost a year of fighting for the return of her children through London’s High Court of Justice.
Having navigated both European and American court systems, Melissa gained her paralegal certification at California State University of Monterey Bay where she lived for 20 years before moving to San Luis Obispo County.
For the first 10 years of her career as a paralegal, Melissa focused solely on child abuse and domestic violence in both family law and civil litigation. Melissa has taught classes to law enforcement and social workers on court bias, victimology, child sexual abuse investigations & response to interpersonal violence.
Melissa was a board member for Child Abuse Forensic Institute, a Court Appointed Special Advocate, a Certified Foster Parent, and is a Certified Supervised Visitation Specialist. Melissa has also co-written articles for California’s Family Law Journal.
Beyond her passion for advocating for the rights of children. Melissa is a cancer survivor who helped advocate for change in the medical arena of breast cancer. She has written numerous articles for several magazines and co-founded a non profit organization which advocated for a change in medical insurance coding by adding a new surgical term to the standardised medical dictionary of terminology.
Melissa is proud to be a part of a firm which focuses on the needs of children and families. With her background in abuse she is a compassionate advocate and is excited to be a part of Snyder & Shaw LLP.
Her entrance into the legal arena began when her children were abducted by their father to Europe. Melissa had no funds to hire an attorney and instead researched how to file a Hague Convention Petition. It took her almost a year of fighting for the return of her children through London’s High Court of Justice.
Having navigated both European and American court systems, Melissa gained her paralegal certification at California State University of Monterey Bay where she lived for 20 years before moving to San Luis Obispo County.
For the first 10 years of her career as a paralegal, Melissa focused solely on child abuse and domestic violence in both family law and civil litigation. Melissa has taught classes to law enforcement and social workers on court bias, victimology, child sexual abuse investigations & response to interpersonal violence.
Melissa was a board member for Child Abuse Forensic Institute, a Court Appointed Special Advocate, a Certified Foster Parent, and is a Certified Supervised Visitation Specialist. Melissa has also co-written articles for California’s Family Law Journal.
Beyond her passion for advocating for the rights of children. Melissa is a cancer survivor who helped advocate for change in the medical arena of breast cancer. She has written numerous articles for several magazines and co-founded a non profit organization which advocated for a change in medical insurance coding by adding a new surgical term to the standardised medical dictionary of terminology.
Melissa is proud to be a part of a firm which focuses on the needs of children and families. With her background in abuse she is a compassionate advocate and is excited to be a part of Snyder & Shaw LLP.
Brian Elliot-Pekrul
Associate Attorney
Brian was born and raised in San Francisco, where he continues to live with his wife, 7-year-old daughter, and 5-year-old son.
Brian's daughter, Maya, was diagnosed with autism when she was two years old.
Previously, Brian has worked as a staff attorney with multiple Bay Area non-profits to provide legal services to people living with HIV/AIDS and human trafficking survivors.
Brian received his J.D. from the University of San Francisco, an M.S.W. from Columbia University, an M.P.H. from Dartmouth College, and an M.P.A. from UC Berkeley.
Brian's daughter, Maya, was diagnosed with autism when she was two years old.
Previously, Brian has worked as a staff attorney with multiple Bay Area non-profits to provide legal services to people living with HIV/AIDS and human trafficking survivors.
Brian received his J.D. from the University of San Francisco, an M.S.W. from Columbia University, an M.P.H. from Dartmouth College, and an M.P.A. from UC Berkeley.
