Associate Attorney

Diana Maltz is an Associate Attorney whose practice focuses primarily on the areas of special education and disability law.

Diana received her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of San Diego, where she also pursued minors in Psychology and Italian.  She received her Juris Doctor from the University of Southern California’s Gould School of Law.

Having been diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome in high school, Diana learned first-hand that necessary supports and services are often extremely difficult to obtain. This experience has motivated Diana to ensure that her clients are not just offered appropriate services and supports but are able to access them as well.

Diana’s interest in law was sparked when she volunteered at the Kearny Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility during her first year of college.  She later interned at the National Family Justice Center Alliance, an organization dedicated to the support of victims of domestic violence, which inspired her to pursue a career as a child advocacy attorney.

During law school, Diana conducted research regarding civil commitment and conservatorship of developmentally disabled adults as a 2017-2018 Saks Institute Scholar. She also participated in the school’s Mediation Clinic, through which she assisted families exiting the dependency system in developing child custody and visitation agreements.

Diana was first introduced to special education law when she worked at the Lanterman Regional Center Special Education Law Clinic, and she instantly fell in love with the field. After she made the decision to pursue a career as a special education attorney, Diana worked as a law clerk at a small special education law firm before finding her way to the Law Offices of Hirji & Chau in December 2017. 

Since joining our team, Diana has represented numerous families throughout all stages of the IEP and administrative hearing processes, and has achieved an impressive number of favorable outcomes for her clients. She has assisted students and their families in procuring District funding for placement at nonpublic schools, reimbursement for out-of-pocket educational costs, compensatory educational services, one-to-one aides, and changes to Districts’ prospective offers of FAPE. Recently, Diana and Partner Jenny Chau prevailed at a due process hearing, securing compensatory behavior and academic services for a student who was denied a one-to-one behavior aide. 

Looking to the future, Diana sees wide open potential for students and families in need of legal assistance. Recent Supreme Court and 9th Circuit decisions have increased the range of options available to advocates for children with special needs, and her own victories before the Office of Administrative Hearings have opened several avenues as well. Diana understands how important it is to receive the necessary supports and will fight for you and your child in every aspect of special education.