
Mary S. Gerbig
Shareholder
Mary represents school districts on the unique matters that schools, school boards and school administrators face. Additionally, she has advised public and private sector employers on a diverse set of issues.
Mary represents and supports public school districts in student services matters, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and related state law. She provides counsel in all areas of special education, throughout identification, evaluation, IEP, mediation and litigation processes. She has successfully represented school districts in hundreds of special education mediations, special education due process requests and hearings, Section 504 mediations and hearings, DPI and OCR investigations, and U.S. federal district court and 7th Circuit Court of Appeals cases. She also provides guidance for navigating complex student services matters, including student discipline, pupil nondiscrimination and open enrollment. She previously served as a presenter for the Wisconsin Special Education Mediation System trainings, and as an adjunct professor of education law at the Marquette University Law School. She is a Wisconsin School Attorneys Association Past Board member, a recipient of the Tipler Award for distinguished service in School Law and a recipient of the Women in Law award.
Mary is a frequent presenter for school professional service organizations.
Accomplishments
- Lawyer of Distinction, September 2018
- American Registry of Attorneys
- George Tipler Award, WSAA (2018)
- Fellow, Wisconsin Law Foundation (2012)
- Women in the Law, Wisconsin Law Journal (2011)
- Zilber Scholar, Marquette University Law School
- Member, Phi Kappa Phi
- Member, Alpha Sigma Nu
- Member, Fellows of the Wisconsin Law Foundation
- Member, Wisconsin Council of Administrators of Special Services
- Member and Past Board Member, Wisconsin School Attorneys Association
- Member, State Bar of Wisconsin
- Member, Seventh Circuit Bar Association
- Member, Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM)
- Member, American Bar Association
- 1st Vice President, Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras
- Past Board Member, Association of Wisconsin Symphony Orchestras
- Past President, Civic Symphony of Green Bay, Inc.
- Member, Middleton Community Orchestra
- JD, cum laude, Marquette University Law School
- BA with high honors, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Up Close & Personal
Q: Do you have children?
A: I have five children and they range from ages 36 to the baby who is 21.
Q: What do you like to do when you are not at work?
A: I am married to Bill, who is the greatest. We have a great life with a fantastic mix of family, Badger football and concerts.
Q: What music would we find on your playlist?
A: On any day of the week, I am listening to a range of classical and jazz music, with a good amount of Aretha Franklin in the mix.
Q: One thing that my clients do not know about me is…
A: I love classical music and am a musician. I still play flute and piano, and play in regional orchestras such as the Manitowoc Symphony and Middleton Symphony.