David Ward German

PRO

David Ward German

also known as David W. German

5.0
106 reviews
This is an aggregated review score of Avvo and Lawyers.com reviews.
Rating: 10.0

Licensed for 18 years

Education Lawyer at Sherman Oaks, CA
Practice Areas: Education, Civil Rights, Personal Injury

14001 Ventura Boulevard, Sherman Oaks, CA

Virtual Consultation Available

Free Consultation

About David

Biography

Fighting for the rights of students with disabilities throughout California.

Practice Areas

3

Practice Areas

Education 70%

My practice is devoted to the educational rights of students with disabilities. My primary areas of focus are special education due process and civil rights matters. I also handle discipline matters arising within all types of educational settings.

18 years

70%
Civil Rights 15%

I handle disability discrimination and equal access matters that arise within a K-12 educational setting.

18 years

15%
Personal Injury 15%

I have won tens of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for students with disabilities who have been harmed by school personnel or injured due to negligent supervision.

18 years

15%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 45 minutes


Payment Methods

  • Check
  • Credit Card

Awards

Client's Choice
Client's Choice
2024 2023 2022
...
+ 4
Platinum Client Champion

Licenses

Licensed in California for 18 years

State: California

Acquired: 2007

Active

No misconduct found

Location

Vanaman German LLP

14001 Ventura Boulevard, Sherman Oaks, CA, 91423

vanamangerman.com/

Online Presence

Other places you can find David online.

David Ward German's Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (95) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Showing 41 - 44 of 44 reviews | Practice Area Knowledge

Posted by V. H | February 11, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Education

Fantastic

David German of Newman Aaronson Vanaman is magnificent! We had been fighting to keep our son in our neighborhood school and in his general education classroom since kindergarten. We knew he belonged but did not know how to secure it and get him the right supports. After attending a conference in L...A about inclusion laws, we sought help. We were introduced to David at the end of our child's first grade year and took on the school district with David. The school district asked to settle instead of going to hearing. Within the settlement we were able to get outside help, paid by the district, from a non public agency so that a real inclusion program could be set up. For some reason the district didn't care to follow through with the settlement agreements to the full extent. David filed complaint with the California Department of Education. The CDE found our district to be non compliant and were ordered to follow through with the settlement agreements. The school district continued to insist our son be pulled out of all academics and so we sued them a second time. The district wanted to settle but we opted to go to hearing. David took us through a gnarly process trying to get the department of special education within our district to help our child. David prevailed and the court ordered the district to not only follow through with previous settlement agreement but gave our son more support and this support coming from a non public agency of our choosing and paid by the district. You can't go wrong with David. He is blessed with great talent. He is kind, supportive, available and incredibly versed in the law. Thank you David a million times over!

Posted by Maria | February 06, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Education

Exceeded our expectations

There aren't too many things more daunting than finding someone to stand up for your child when it feels like there is no hope. We were honored & extremely grateful to have found David German. Our expectations were set very high as my husband has a doctorate in special education and I have devoted ...my life to advocating for my children with special needs. It truly felt as though all the districts cards were stacked up against us. We were made to feel by the district as though we had no say in our son's education, as though they could do whatever they felt like even with all the knowledge and experience we had; and then, Dr. German arrived. He changed everything. His calm, precise, extremely knowledgeable demeanor was something amazing to see in action. I can say, without hesitation, that knowing we have David German in our corner as we navigate this sometimes scary world of special education gives me great peace. We have had to use his services twice now and both outcomes exceeded our desired expectations. Truly grateful for this man and his wisdom and approach.

Posted by Jamie | February 05, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Education

Exceptional lawyer

I can't speak highly enough about this firm and about our great experiences with David German specifically. 100%, Vanaman law firm and David German are the real deal when it comes to Special Education attorneys. We felt the district representatives were not being forthcoming with us about resources... available to help our child, and we had a feeling the IEP offer wasn't right for our child. Everyone told us it was impossible to fight the district. We took our IEP offer to David German to review for a second opinion, and from the first five minutes with him, we could tell he is someone who cares, feels deeply about justice for special needs students, he knows the law and that he is on our side 100%. For two years in a row, David has helped us secure significant additional early resource supports for our four year old, and our child is thriving. Highly recommend David and Vanaman law firm.

Posted by Alyssa | June 11, 2018 | Hired Attorney | Education

BEST lawyer ever

I was a little wary of attorneys since I had a bad experience with one already, but David was recommended to me from a dear friend who hired him and loved working with him. Right away I was so impressed by how personable he was and how much he cared about my autistic son, our family story, and our ca...se. He really listened to what we wanted and what we were fighting for, and he went to battle for us. He was very accessible, always called back or emailed back promptly. We just knew he was 100% on our side the whole time and was really going to bat for us. He represented us well against our school district, and we did indeed get what we were fighting for. I appreciated how David always explained things to us in understandable terms so we knew what was going on and felt comfortable. Our family is deeply grateful for David and the positive experience we had in working with him. It renewed our faith in attorneys. We never felt like just a paycheck or a number to David, and that was really impressive and different than our previous experience. I can not say enough good things about him. Don't hesitate to hire him, he knows his stuff in the special education world.

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David Ward German's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse David
Kevin Jay Lahue headshot
Kevin Lahue

Education lawyer | Jun 11

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"David is a consummate legal expert in the often complicated morass of Education Law. Our firm never hesitates to refer him a case in this area and he has achieved incredible results for our mutual clients."

Omar Qureshi headshot
Omar Qureshi

Education lawyer | Apr 17

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"David German is one of the top education lawyers in the country. We worked together on a couple of matters, and I've seen firsthand how school districts, education attorneys, and even judges have tremendous respect for David. His reputation is well-earned. He does everything well. He cares for his clients, and they care for him. He is an outstanding strategic thinker, he is well-connected, he litigates cases well, he examines witnesses well, and he negotiates well, among other things. If my children needed an advocate, I would call David first. He is the best in the field, and it won't take long for you to see why."

Susan Sophia Bliziotis headshot
Susan Bliziotis

Education lawyer | Apr 16

Relationship: Co-worker

"David German has a remarkably nimble and creative legal mind along with exemplary legal skills in all areas of practice. His clients are able to entrust him with their child's educational needs due to his to fierce advocacy on their behalf and his ability to obtain outstanding results for their child. David has become a leader in this area of law because of his fierce commitment to student civil rights coupled with his well honed legal skills. Lastly, as a colleague he is generous with his willingness to help analyze a case. His reasoning and insights are consistently helpful."

Maria Elizabeth Hall headshot
Maria Hall

Civil rights lawyer | Jul 11

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I first met David German while we were students at USC Law School. I'm fortunate to have had many opportunities to volunteer alongside him on several occasions. He is not only one of the smartest people I know, but is also one of the most caring, kind and trustworthy people I know. I have 100% faith in him, and if I needed a lawyer for myself or my family, I wouldn't hesitate to hire David."

Henry Tovmassian headshot
Henry Tovmassian

Education lawyer | Jun 22

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse David. He is very knowledgeable and works tenaciously for his clients."

Alexis Victoria Casillas headshot
Alexis Casillas

Education lawyer | Jun 11

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I endorse this lawyer. David works diligently to represent his clients effectively and in a manner that suits each of his clients' unique personality and needs. This level of conscientiousness and strategic flexibility sets him apart and makes him an attorney I enjoy collaborating with."

View All Endorsements
Surisa Evelyn Rivers headshot
Surisa Rivers

Education lawyer

Omar Qureshi headshot
Omar Qureshi

Personal injury lawyer

Christopher Hans Knauf headshot
Christopher Knauf

Civil rights lawyer

Maria Elizabeth Hall headshot
Maria Hall

Civil rights lawyer

Alexis Victoria Casillas headshot
Alexis Casillas

Education lawyer

Megan Myra Moore headshot
Megan Moore

Litigation lawyer

Henry Tovmassian headshot
Henry Tovmassian

Education lawyer

Annabel Fay Blanchard headshot
Annabel Blanchard

Estate planning lawyer

Susan Sophia Bliziotis headshot
Susan Bliziotis

Education lawyer

Tiffany Marie Santos headshot
Tiffany Santos

Education lawyer

Lee G Rideout headshot
Lee Rideout

Education lawyer

Lyndsy Brooke Rodgers headshot
Lyndsy Rodgers

Education lawyer

Wesley Burton Parsons headshot
Wesley Parsons

Education lawyer

Angela Gordon headshot
Angela Gordon

Education lawyer

Howard Jay Fulfrost headshot
Howard Fulfrost

Education lawyer

Summer Danielle Dalessandro headshot
Summer Dalessandro

Litigation lawyer

Siobhan Hime Cullen headshot
Siobhan Cullen

Education lawyer

Marlon Craig Wadlington headshot
Marlon Wadlington

Education lawyer

Constance Marie Taylor headshot
Constance Taylor

Education lawyer

Justin Russell Shinnefield headshot
Justin Shinnefield

Education lawyer

Experience

Rating:  10.0 (Superb)

Honors

2023

Top 100 Verdicts in America 2022, National Law Journal - Top 100 Verdicts in America, 2022

2023

Top Verdict - 13th Biggest Verdict in California, Top Verdict - 13th Biggest Verdict in California [2022]

2020

Client Champion Award, Martindale-Hubbell

2020

Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

2006

Student of the Year Award, University of Southern California Public Interest Law Foundation

2006

Edward and Eleanor Shattuck Award, University of Southern California Law School

Work Experience

2020 - Present

Managing Partner, Vanaman German LLP

2015 - Present

Partner, Newman Aaronson Vanaman

2015 - 2016

Lecturer in Law, Special Education Clinic, UCLA School of Law

2012 - 2015

Associate, Newman Aaronson Vanaman

2006 - 2007

Pro Se Habeas Clerk, Central District Of California, Los Angeles, California

2005 - 2005

Judicial Extern to Judge Margaret Morrow, Central District Of California, Los Angeles, California

2004 - 2004

Judicial Extern to Judge Stephen Reinhardt, Ninth Circuit Court Of Appeals

Associations

Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates

Sample of Legal Cases

M.C. v. Los Angeles Unified School District, et. al, CACD Case No.: 2:20-cv-09127-CBM-E

Reversal of Administrative Decision on All Issues

D.R. v. Redondo Beach Unified School District, 56 F.4th 636 (9th Cir. 2022)

Prevailed on core legal issue.

C.W. et al., v. Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District

Jury awarded $45,000,000.00 in damages.

E.E., v. State of California, NDCA case no. . 21-cv-07585-SI

Statewide Preliminary Injunction Granted

Student v. Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District

Court ordered remedy of 520 hours of assessment, training, and consultation by the staff at the Pivotal Response Training program of The University of California, Santa Barbara.

Student v. Goleta Union School District

Prevailed. Additional inclusion support ordered within general education.

Student v. East Whittier City School District

Prevailed. Full inclusion program ordered.

See More Legal Cases

Education

2009

University of Southern California

PhD - Doctorate

2006

USC Law School

JD - Juris Doctor

N/A

Univ of Pennsylvania

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Speaking Engagements

2018

IEPs and 504 Plans: A Legal Compliance Guide 504 Plan Reviews and Reevaluations: Legal Best Practices

2018

IEPs and 504 Plans: A Legal Compliance Guide Handling IEP and 504 Plan Disputes

Publications

2018

IEPs and 504 Plans: A Legal Compliance Guide 504 Plan Reviews and Reevaluations: Legal Best Practices

2009

Ph.D. dissertation, University of Southern California Cause and consequence: confronting ethical challenges in models of morally informed legal practice

Languages

Spanish

Activity

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