Dennis C. McAndrews, Esquire

Dennis C. McAndrews

Printable Bio

Dennis C. McAndrews is the founding shareholder of McAndrews Law Offices, P.C. Mr. McAndrews graduated with a double major in Education and Political Science from Villanova University and received his law degree from the Villanova School of Law.

Professional History

He has worked for over twenty-five years in the public and private sectors in several roles in the field of disability law. Mr. McAndrews regularly represents individuals with disabilities and their families in a variety of areas, including special education matters, special needs trusts, guardianship, estate planning, right-to-treatment cases, and injury cases. He frequently serves as a consultant to other public and private attorneys with regard to disability and special education issues.

He has served as Executive Director and Staff Counsel to two select committees of the Pennsylvania State Senate which evaluated Pennsylvania’s system of care for the mentally retarded and drafted proposed legislation designed to modernize Pennsylvania’s legal basis for the provision of care to the mentally retarded. Mr. McAndrews served for fifteen years as a Special Education Hearing Officer for the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and was regularly assigned to determine the appropriate educational classification, program, and placement of school age children with disabilities. In 1990, he was selected to serve as one of the first appellate hearing officers in Pennsylvania under new Department of Education regulations. During his sixteen years as a prosecutor in the Philadelphia area, and thereafter in criminal defense matters, he handled many cases involving defenses of mental disability. He was a special prosecutor in the murder trial of Commonwealth vs. John E. duPont.

Mr. McAndrews is an instructor of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and Criminal Justice at Villanova University. He is a frequent lecturer to national conferences, Bar Association Committees and advocacy groups in Pennsylvania concerning estate planning, special education, and the rights of the disabled. He has authored numerous articles regarding these topics. He served for a decade as Chairman of The Disability Law Committee of the Delaware County Bar Association.

Bar Admissions

Pennsylvania

Practice Areas

Special Education Law

Special Needs Trusts

Guardianship

Estate Planning

Estate Administration

Right-to-Treatment Cases

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As 2010 marches forward without congressional action,many political observers are concerned that inaction in Washington will cause the Federal Estate Tax threshold to revert to $1,000,000.00. Everyone whose assets (including home, life insurance, retirement plans, and all other assets) which might exceed $1,000,000.00 should pay careful attention to news reports on this issue, and reevaluate their estate plan accordingly. Please watch for updates on the website and Facebook of McAndrews Law Offices, P.C. Read More →
In 1993, a Pennsylvania Federal District Court issued a landmark implementation order. In the case of Cordero v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Court required all Pennsylvania agencies who are involved in the education of children with disabilities to coordinate their efforts and to ensure that the rights of children to a free appropriate public education are honored. Read The Full Order →
Heather Hulse, Esquire, of the Scranton office of McAndrews Law Offices recently won a significant decision before a Pennsylvania Special Education Hearing Officer. Read More →
McAndrews Law Offices’ attorney, Gabrielle Sereni, recently won a major victory in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in a case arising out of the Philadelphia School District. Read More →
MCANDREWS LAW OFFICES FILES SUIT IN FEDERAL COURT TO PRESERVE COMPENSATORY EDUCATION RIGHTS OF A CHILD WHO ATTENDED AN INSOLVENT CHARTER SCHOOL.Read More →
Our Website Now Includes Extensive Videos. Our website now includes extensive videos regarding Estate Planning, Estate Administration, and Special Needs Trusts. View Videos →

“Our son was a gifted student who always did well in school. However, he began having real difficulty in going to school and was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and school phobia...”

“ A happy footnote to our case: Our son graduated summa cum laude from college and has been accepted for graduate study at the University of Chicago.”

— Mr. and Mrs. B.

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