Mary C Vargas

Mary Vargas is a partner with Stein & Vargas, LLP based in Washington, DC. where she engages in nationwide impact litigation in federal courts on behalf of individuals with disabilities who experience discrimination. Vargas represents individuals with disabilities in matters filed pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Fair Housing Act, and the Air Carrier Access Act. Vargas has a special interest in testing accommodation matters and discrimination against individuals with food allergies and celiac disease.

Vargas has won key victories throughout the United States on behalf of individuals with disabilities including in Argenyi v. Creighton University in which Vargas served as lead trial and appellate counsel in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit resulting in a finding that it was discrimination to deny a deaf medical student accommodations. She also served as lead trial and appellate counsel in Ramsay v. National Board of Medical Examiners which resulted in a preliminary injunction being awarded to a medical student with learning disabilities who needed accommodations on the United States Medical Licensing Examination with Vargas successfully defending the preliminary injunction in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit and the United States Supreme Court. Vargas also argued National Association of the Deaf v. State of Florida in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit which held that deaf citizens have a right to participation in civic life. Vargas also argued J.D. v. Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit establishing that venues may be required to permit people with medically necessary dietary restrictions to bring in their own safe food.

Vargas was awarded the 2017 FARE Vision Award for advocacy on behalf of children with food allergies and the 2016 Eagle Award for her role as lead trial and appellate counsel in groundbreaking litigation on behalf of a deaf medical student. She is a 1998 Skadden Fellow and a 1994 Truman Scholar. Prior to starting Stein & Vargas, LLP, Vargas worked as a Staff Attorney at the National Association of the Deaf.
Vargas speaks nationally on issues relating to disability rights, food allergy, celiac disease, and educational equity and has served on multiple expert panels to develop national guidelines for management of food allergies and celiac disease in k-12 education and college.
She is admitted to practice in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Connecticut, as well as multiple federal district courts throughout the country. She has argued before the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the 2d, 3rd, 4th, 8th, and 11th Circuits and is admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court. Vargas is also eligible to serve as a best interest attorney in Frederick County Maryland. 

Vargas lives in Frederick County, Maryland with her family and three unruly Italian Greyhounds.