About Us
S. Fahad Qamer, Esq.
Fahad Qamer is an experienced litigator who has tried numerous special education cases before administrative tribunals and criminal cases in New York City courts. After graduation from Brooklyn Law School, Mr. Qamer served as an Assistant District Attorney at the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office where he was part of a unit responsible for prosecuting crimes occurring within or around Brooklyn public schools. He tried numerous felony and misdemeanor cases and was designated by District Attorney Charles Hynes to prosecute all crimes occurring against school safety officers. He presented hundreds of cases before Grand Jury and tried numerous misdemeanor and felony cases before criminal and supreme court judges and juries.
Mr. Qamer then joined the NYC Department of Education as a litigation attorney where he exclusively represented the DOE in special education cases. He tried numerous impartial hearings and negotiated settlement of hundreds of cases. He also regularly advised and counseled the DOE staff and provided training seminars on special education issues. Mr. Qamer moved on to represent Long Island school districts in special education matters for approximately five years at a well-known law firm. Mr. Qamer then transitioned his legal focus from representing school districts to advocating for parents of students with disabilities at a law firm on Long Island where he worked for more than three years.
At SFQ Law, he has concentrated his practice on representing parents in all aspects of special education matters from appearances at CSE meetings, to negotiation of settlements, to litigation at Impartial Hearings, to appeal to State Review Officer and federal district courts. He also regularly represents students in disciplinary proceedings brought by school districts on Long Island and NYC.
Mr. Qamer is admitted to practice law in New York and New Jersey and is admitted in the Federal District Courts of the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York. Mr. Qamer is a member of the Nassau County Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association. He recently served as a co-chair of the Education Law Committee at Nassau County Bar Association where he organized education law conferences and continuing legal education for education law attorneys and public-school administrators. He has also presented at numerous education law panels on various topics involving special education and student discipline. He resides on Long Island with his wife and three children.
Ariel S. Zitrin, Esq., ODCP
Of Counsel
Ariel Zitrin is the former First Deputy Director for the New York City Department of Education’s Special Education Legal Unit (SEU). As First Deputy Director, Ms. Zitrin oversaw the day-to-day operation of the unit and supervised a staff of over 200 attorneys and paralegals in their investigation, settlement and/or litigation of all special education complaints brought against the DOE by parents seeking funding for private school tuition and special services.
In January 2023, after twelve years with the SEU, Ms. Zitrin made the difficult decision to leave the DOE for a new opportunity as Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of New Rochelle. There, Ms. Zitrin was responsible for, or played a role in, all City legal matters. Though Ms. Zitrin enjoyed working for the citizens of New Rochelle, she soon realized that her professional passions remained in education law and organizational development. It was this realization that gave rise to Ms. Zitrin starting her own education law and consulting practice in January 2024.
Prior to joining the DOE in 2010, Ms. Zitrin practiced torts law as an insurance defense attorney, and started her legal career as a prosecutor with the Queens County District Attorney’s Office.
Ms. Zitrin earned her J.D. in 2004 from Pace University School of Law. Before attending law school, she earned her B.A. with Distinction in 2001 from the University of Delaware, where she graduated cum laude and was Phi Beta Kappa. Ms. Zitrin is also a certified Organizational Development Professional.
Ms. Zitrin is excited to be collaborating with S. Fahad Qamer, whom she first met when they worked together at the DOE.