About Daniel S.
Daniel S. Perlman trained at Northeastern University School of Law, earning his J.D. in 2009. He entered the legal field at a time when education law and special education issues were taking on greater public attention. His legal education placed him near Boston, where he would build a practice centered on advocacy for children and families.
His first post-graduate position came in 2010 when he joined Massachusetts Advocates for Children as a staff lawyer. There he worked on cases and administrative matters related to public education. The job gave him regular contact with parents, school administrators and state agencies. It also exposed him to the procedural and practical challenges families face when seeking services for students with disabilities.
In 2015 Perlman launched his own firm and took the title of Principal at Perlman Legal, LLC. Since then he has overseen cases that involve special education disputes and related administrative hearings. Leading a small firm allowed him to manage a caseload that mixed individual representation with systemic advocacy. He handles client intake, prepares hearing requests and represents families in school-district negotiations and due process hearings.
Perlman keeps active in professional and advocacy organizations. He has been a member of the Coalition to Defend Special Education since 2009. He joined the Massachusetts Bar Association in 2015 and remains a member. He also belongs to the Council of Parent Lawyers and Advocates and the Special Needs Advocacy Network, both memberships beginning in 2015. Those affiliations reflect ongoing engagement with peers who take on education law and disability rights cases.
Colleagues describe Perlman as thorough in case preparation and pragmatic in settlement discussions. He approaches disputes by mapping the administrative record, identifying legal claims and focusing on remedies that will affect a child’s school program. He draws on experience from public-interest work early in his career and applies it to private practice. He often works directly with parents to prepare evidence for hearings and to explore options outside formal litigation.
Perlman practices in Massachusetts and conducts matters that arise under state special education law and related administrative procedures. He has kept a steady presence in the state’s advocacy community and runs Perlman Legal, LLC as the vehicle for his practice. He currently concentrates his practice on special education and related matters in Massachusetts.
