Karen Ford Edler

Karen F. Edler founded Price, Meese, Shulman & D'Arminio’s Education Law Group. Ms. Edler has decades of experience in education law advocating for parents in connection with obtaining a free, appropriate public education for their children under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”) and under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Ms. Edler provides a wide range of educational services including reviewing Individual Education Plans (“IEP”) and Section 504 Plans, attending meetings, ensuring that students with disabilities receive appropriate evaluations, programming, related services and placements in or out of district. Ms. Edler represents any student with educational issues including grade appeals, Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying (“HIB”) matters, disciplinary charges, hearings and appeals for public, private and collegiate students. She also provides special needs estate planning, including the preparation of Special Needs Trusts and guardianship applications. Ms. Edler also handles Social Security disability applications and appeals.
Ms. Edler is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association’s School Law Committee and a member of the New Jersey Special Education Practitioners group. Ms. Edler also works as a pro bono attorney and mentor for Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (“VLJ”) and spoke at a VLJ Special Education Law and Advocacy webinar. Ms. Edler presents and participates in numerous special education and advocacy seminars and panels. Ms. Edler was a guest speaker for School Avoidance Alliance’s “Ask the Expert” series speaking school avoidant student’s legal rights. Ms. Edler was a panelist on NJ Spotlight’s Virtual Roundtable: School’s Out: Special Education during COVID-19 which also included the Assistant Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Education, the Director of the Office of Special Education and an educator from Pennsauken.
Ms. Edler also has decades of experience in commercial real estate law and business and corporate law. Ms. Edler handles all aspects of commercial real estate purchase and sale transactions and commercial leasing. Ms. Edler manages the formation of limited liability companies and corporations, corporate acquisitions and mergers and transfers of membership interests or stock certificates.
Ms. Edler is a cum laude graduate of Dickinson College, where she earned a BA degree in Political Science, with a minor in Latin. She earned her law degree, cum laude, from New York Law School, where she was the Managing Editor of New York Law School Journal of International and Comparative Law. After law school, she served as a law clerk for the Honorable Robert E. Hamer, J.S.C., Law Division, Bergen County. During the course of her career, Ms. Edler litigated in numerous courts and represented various public entities including municipalities, planning boards, and boards of adjustment. Additionally, she served as the Public Defender in a Bergen County municipality.
Karen Edler has been selected to Martindale-Hubbell’s list of AV Preeminent lawyers for many years including 2025. Please visit Martindale-Hubbell’s Attorney Reviews and Ratings for a description of the selection process. Ms. Edler also has been selected to the 2024 & 2025 New Jersey Super Lawyers lists. Please visit the Super Lawyers Selection Process for a detailed description of the Super Lawyers selection methodology. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.