As Senior Director of Student Services at K Altman Law, Francesca brings a powerful combination of legal expertise, alternative dispute resolution, business development, and strategic leadership to support students and families across a broad range of education-related matters. Her work reflects the firm’s comprehensive student defense mission, including special education, disability accommodations, student discipline, Title IX, and other issues that affect students’ access to education and campus life. K Altman Law’s student-focused practice includes representation in student defense and Title IX matters.
A former special education attorney and advocate, Francesca has spent her career at the intersection of civil rights, child welfare, and education. She is deeply committed to protecting student rights, promoting equity, and helping families navigate complex school, college, and institutional systems. Her experience uniquely positions her to understand how disability-related concerns, behavioral and disciplinary issues, accommodation needs, and allegations involving student conduct can overlap, requiring thoughtful and strategic advocacy.
Francesca is also a trained mediator, skilled at navigating high-conflict and sensitive matters to find practical, student-centered solutions. This experience is especially valuable in cases involving school disputes, disciplinary proceedings, accommodation disagreements, and Title IX-related concerns, where resolution often requires both legal insight and careful interpersonal strategy.
Her background also includes significant work in the business development of educational and advocacy services, giving her a strong understanding of how to design and implement responsive support systems for students with diverse needs while remaining aligned with legal and policy frameworks. Prior to joining K Altman Law, Francesca co-founded two educational consulting companies, where she developed special education advocacy services, managed compliance, and built strong partnerships across the education community.
Earlier in her career, Francesca served as a Special Education Attorney and as a Civil Rights and HIPAA Investigator at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where she was recognized with the OCR Director’s Honor Award for her work on a university hospital settlement. That civil rights foundation continues to inform her work with students facing discrimination, exclusion, disability-related barriers, and other challenges in educational settings. She began her legal career advocating for youth in care and protection cases with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families.
Francesca holds a Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School and a Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies and Italian from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
She is also a frequent public speaker, having presented at events including the South Shore Conference for Women, Empower Women by Lexington Wealth Management, and the American Camp Association of New England. She has also appeared on podcasts and community television, using her platform to educate families, professionals, and communities on student rights and advocacy.
Today, Francesca leads multidisciplinary student services initiatives at K Altman Law, helping guide strategy, service development, and cross-functional advocacy on behalf of students and families. In this leadership role, she supports the firm’s commitment to high-quality, compassionate representation across special education, student defense, Title IX, and other matters that shape students’ educational access, safety, and future.
