CEREBRAL PALSY - Key Persons
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- Division of Vocational Education
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- State Education Agency Rural Representative
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- Coordinator / Learning Disabilities Association of TX
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- Director / Parent Partners
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- Executive Director
- Governor
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- Director / Bureau of Developmental Disabilities
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- Assistant State Superintendent
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- Protection and Advocacy Agency
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- Director / Charles McDowell Center
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- Executive Director / Iowa Cerebral Palsy Association
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- Chief, Bur. of Early Intervention Services
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- Director of Programs & Services / Easter Seals
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- Executive Director / Ohio DD Planning Council
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- President / Learning Disabilities Association of
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- Branch Head of Child & Adolescent Services
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- Director of Programs & Services / Easter Seals
Easter Seals Society of Arizona helps individuals with disabilities and special needs. It works with their families, as well. Whether the child has cerebral palsy or one of many other disabilities, Easter Seals has child development centers, physical rehabilitation opportunities, job training and more to help those with special needs.
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- CAP Director / Disability Rights Center
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- Executive Director
- Governor
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- Senior Director / Texas Education Agency
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- President / UT Alliance for the Mentally Ill
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- Project Director
- Director / Department of Health
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- Bureau Chief / Bureau of Family and Community Services / Department of Education
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- Project Coordinator / Utah Parent Center
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- Program Manager / Department of Education
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- Early Childhood Consultant
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- Director / Alabama DD Planning Council
John MacLellan graduated with honors from Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland receiving his B.A. in history and a minor in economics. While attending Washington College, John competed on the varsity sailing team.
Following graduation, John enrolled at the University of Baltimore School of Law. While attending law school at night, John clerked for multiple firms that advocated on behalf of injured individuals during the day. He was also a staff editor for the University of Baltimore Law Review and practiced as a student attorney for the Community Development Clinic. He graduated Magna Cum Laude and continued to work as an attorney in the fields of personal injury and consumer protection before coming to Gershon, Willoughby & Getz.
John is passionate about obtaining justice for his clients. He detests tort reform and the gamesmanship employed by defense attorneys. He takes great pride in eviscerating defense witnesses during cross-examination and exposing their lies.
John lives in Baltimore City's Hampden neighborhood. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and dog, bicycling, and exercising. He is a die hard Ravens fan and looks forward to their next Super Bowl win.
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- Assistant State / Superintendent
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- President / Cerebral Palsy Foundation of
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- President / Brain Injury Association of Arizona
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- Consultant / Bureau of Family and Community Services
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- Executive Director / MD Developmental Disabilities Council
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- Protection and Advocacy Agency
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- Executive Director / MD Developmental Disabilities Council
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- Family Support Services Coordinator
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- Support and Training for Exceptional Parents, Inc. ( STEP )
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- Executive Director / Kentucky DD Planning Council
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- Director of Special Education
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- Executive Director / Maryland Disability Law Center
Putting to use his medical background and legal training and experience, Dr. Getz has helped numerous children and their families obtain substantial recoveries in birth injury and other serious medical malpractice. Recovering millions of dollars, Dr. Getz has helped enable the victims of medical negligence to have the money needed to maximize their abilities and gain peace of mind. Dr. Getz has received the highest peer reviewed rating ("AV") offered by Martindale-Hubbell™ for professional competence and ethics.
Some of Dr. Getz's recoveries include:*
Dr. Getz is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University (B.A. - 1985), University of Maryland School of Medicine (M.D.-1989), California Western School of Law (J.D. - 1992) He is a member of the Maryland Bar and a Fellow of the College of Legal Medicine.
Active in the community, Dr. Getz is a past member of the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore and previously served on the boards of the House of Ruth (a domestic violence center protecting women and children) and the Harford Day School .
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- Assistant State Superintendent
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- Parent Activities Coordinator
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- Executive Director / Texas Planning Council for DD
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- Executive Director / Brain Injury Association of UT, Inc.
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- Office of State Coordinator of Vocational Education for Students With Disabilities
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- Member of the American Association for Justice
Ms. Slater graduated with honors from Johns Hopkins University, receiving her B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Psychological and Brain Sciences. While at Hopkins, she also studied Spanish and Russian language while continuing to explore her personal interest in creative writing.
Following graduation Ms. Slater began working at Johns Hopkins Hospital in heart disease research and as a breast cancer clinical research coordinator. For several years Ms. Slater worked with nurses and doctors at Johns Hopkins enrolling breast cancer patients in clinical trials, educating and advocating for patients and their families.
While working full-time Ms. Slater earned her Master's degree in Governmental Studies from Johns Hopkins University and subsequently attended the University of Baltimore, School of Law, graduating cum laude in May 2015. Moreover, she was actively engaged in a plethora of school opportunities including: teaching first-year law students as a Constitutional Law Scholar, writing for and editing the University of Baltimore Law Forum as both Staff Editor and Executive Board Member, and working as a law faculty research assistant. Finally, while studying for the Bar Examination, Ms. Slater was offered a part-time clerkship with the Office of the Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in Baltimore City.
Ms. Slater comes to Gershon, Willoughby, Getz & Smith, LLC with an expansive knowledge of not only the law but also medicine as a result of her post graduate studies and employment at Johns Hopkins. She is pleased to be able to put her extensive knowledge of medicine and medical care to use for the benefit of injured victims and their families.
Ms. Slater is a member of the American Association for Justice, Maryland Associaton for Justice, and Maryland State Bar Association.
She is a member of and licensed to practice law in Maryland and represents clients outside of Maryland pro hac vice on a case-by-case basis.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director / TN Protection and Advocacy, Inc.
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- Executive Director
- Governor
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- Acting Executive Director / President / Brain Injury Association of Arkansas
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- State Education Agency Rural Representative
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- Executive Director / TN Developmental Disabilities Council
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- of Counsel
- Member of the Bar of the United States Supreme Court
- of Counsel / Gershon, Willoughby, & Getz, LLC
Wayne M. Willoughby, Of Counsel, is a highly experienced medical malpractice attorney and respected member of the legal community who has earned the highest rating ("AV-Preeminent") offered by Martindale-Hubbell™ for professional competence and ethics based on a confidential survey of bar members and the judiciary (1996). He has also been recognized as a SuperLawyer (2009) and achieved a superior rating of 10 by Avvo.
A 2009 recipient of the Maryland Daily Record's "Leadership in Law Award" and recognized ten times as among the "Top Lawyers in Maryland" by "Super Lawyer" Magazine, over his 30 years of practice representing the victims of medical mistakes, Mr. Willoughby has contributed significantly to numerous multi-million dollar recoveries.*
Among his activities on the national level, Mr. Willoughby is a Governor of the American Association for Justice ("AAJ" -the national advocacy organization for lawyers who represent people injured by negligence), a member of the AAJ Leaders Forum and an Eagle Contributor to the AAJ Political Action Committee. He is also a past member of the AAJ Executive Committee and past Chair of the AAJ Council of State Delegates. Furthermore, he is a member of several AAJ committees and the organization's Birth Trauma Litigation Group.
On the state level, Mr. Willoughby is a Past President of the Maryland Association for Justice ("MAJ") and past President of the MAJ Political Action Committee, which works to elect public officials who support the rights of injured people to obtain justice in our courts. Mr. Willoughby founded MAJ's Medical Negligence Section and has served as MAJ Legislative Chair and as MAJ Public Information Officer for the organization many times.
The charitable activities of Mr. Willoughby include establishing and chairing for several years the Maryland Association for Justice Charitable Foundation. He is also a Fellow of the Maryland Bar Foundation. Moreover, Mr. Willoughby is active in his church (including five terms as its president), and the Boy Scouts of America (where he has served as an Assistant Scout Master, Committee Chair, Advancement Chair at various times over the past 25 years).
Mr. Willoughby is a graduate of the University of Maryland (B.S. - 1980) and University of Baltimore School of Law
Mr. Willoughby is a member of the Bar of the United States Supreme Court, the Bar of the United States District Courts for the District of Maryland and the District of Columbia, the Bar of Maryland and the Bar of the District of Columbia.
Job Titles:
- Director / Workforce Development Education / Department of Public Instruction
- Vocational Education for Students With Disabilities
Zev Gershon, M.D. J.D., the team leader at the firm, has been recognized among the "Best Lawyers in America" and designated as one of the "Top Attorneys in Maryland" in the 2010 and 2011 editions of Super Lawyer Magazine.
In addition to these prestigious designations, Dr. Gershon has received the highest peer reviewed rating ("AV") offered by Martindale-Hubbell™ for professional competence and ethics. Most recently he was named as a member of The National Trial Lawyers,a professional organization composed of the premier trial lawyers from across the country who exemplify superior qualifications as civil plaintiff or criminal defense trial lawyers. This organization is limited to 100 members nationally.
As a Doctor/Attorney, Dr. Gershon has recovered millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for his clients.
Dr. Gershon is a graduate of the University of Maryland (B.S. 1981-cum laude), University of Maryland School of Medicine (M.D. - 1986) and University of Baltimore School of Law (J.D. - 1989). He is member of the Bar of Maryland, the Bar of the District of Columbia, and the Bar of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. In addition, he is a Fellow of the College of Legal Medicine.