Lawrence Kotin
In Memoriam
Contact Information
Education
- B.A. Columbia College
- Certificat de Langue Francaise La Sorbonne
- J.D. Columbia University School of Law
Practice Areas
Attorney Profile
Lawrence Kotin, who retired on July 15, 2014, both in his capacity as partner and then as of counsel to the firm, practiced in the special education and disability law group.
While a Staff Attorney at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, Mr. Kotin served as a Principal Investigator for the Massachusetts Study of Educational Opportunities for Handicapped and Disadvantaged Children in Massachusetts, responsible for the Legal Analysis and Drafting of Model Legislation. The Model Legislation was the original basis for what later was enacted as Chapter 766 of the Acts of 1972, the Massachusetts comprehensive special education law, while Mr. Kotin was Special Assistant for Education and Children’s Services to Massachusetts Governor Francis W. Sargent. Subsequently, Mr. Kotin was Executive Director of Cambridge and Somerville Legal Services. Following his tenure as Director, Mr. Kotin was a co-founder of the Massachusetts Center for Public Interest Law and in that capacity was responsible for coordinating the drafting of the regulations for Chapter 766 and for advising the Massachusetts Department of Education during the first years of its implementation. In 1981, Mr. Kotin co-founded the law firm of Kotin, Crabtree & Strong.
Mr. Kotin was also a Lecturer at the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study of Tufts University for approximately six years.
Mr. Kotin was a regular contributor to the Massachusetts Special Education Reporter, summarizing and commenting on the decisions of the Bureau of Special Education Appeals.
Bar Admissions
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- New York
- U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, Massachusetts, and New York
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Speaking Engagements
Mr. Kotin was a speaker before various groups and organizations upon invitation.
Publications
- Contributor to Massachusetts Special Education Reporter
- Legal Foundations of Compulsory School Attendance (National University Publications, 1980)
- Author and co-author of various articles and reports concerning education and special education in particular.
Awards & Honors
- Honored and celebrated post humous on Saturday, September 9, 2023, at the Federation for Children with Special Needs’ 49th Anniversary Gala Honoring Giant Along the Way. Along with Bob Crabtree and Dan Heffernan, the honorees were recognized and honored as some of the trailblazing giants who founded, built, and grew the Federation for Children with Special Needs. Their efforts transformed education, healthcare, and human services in Massachusetts and nationwide
- Chosen as Super Lawyer by New England Super Lawyers Magazine
- Recipient of the Martha H. Ziegler Founder’s Award from the Federation for Children With Special Needs, Inc. “In recognition of his pioneering leadership in the passage of chapter 766 and for decades of dedication to students with disabilities and their families”
- Certificate of Appreciation from the Massachusetts Advocates for Children “In Recognition of your effective advocacy on behalf of children and your distinguished tenure on the board of directors of the Massachusetts Advocates for Children”
Community Leadership
- Mr. Kotin was a VISTA Volunteer and a member of the Board of Directors of the following organizations: Boston Education Alliance, Child Care Resource Center, Massachusetts Advocates for Children, The New School of Music and the Shady Hill School (ex officio).