Alison Barkoff
Senior Staff Attorney

Alison Barkoff works on a broad array of issues affecting children and adults with mental disabilities, including litigation regarding community integration, special education, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Medicaid and the criminalization of individuals with mental illness. Prior to joining the Bazelon Center, Barkoff advocated on behalf of people with disabilities in a variety of settings. Most recently, she worked with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. Previously, Barkoff worked with private civil rights law firms and public interest organizations on disability discrimination and special education cases and clerked for judges on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Barkoff has published several articles on special education and criminal justice issues that affect individuals with disabilities. She holds a B.S. with honors from Cornell University and a J.D. with highest honors from Emory University School of Law. Barkoff joined the Bazelon Center in May 2005.