Marcelo Quinones ( He/Him/His )

Marcelo Quiñones joined the Office of the County Counsel in 2017.   

Marcelo leads the Education Law Team, and he is a member of the Social Justice and Impact Litigation Team.  He specializes in solving complex problems for K-14 local educational agencies by demystifying complex legal frameworks and identifying concrete solutions for consideration.  As a former fifth grade teacher, Marcelo understands and appreciates the school setting and classroom dynamics, and he applies this background and perspective in offering practical guidance to administrators that reflects an understanding of schools’ core missions and the complexities of the educational environment.  He has advised local school districts, community college districts, and the Santa Clara County Office of Education on a broad array of student services matters, board policy and administrative regulation updates, confidentiality of education records, contracting, board governance, public records, school discipline, interdistrict transfer requests, and policy initiatives.   

Prior to joining the Office, Marcelo worked on enforcement and regulatory guidance in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), with an emphasis on language access services for students and families and disparities in school discipline.  He led OCR’s investigation into the discipline practices of one of the largest school districts in the country.  Marcelo utilizes his experience supervising, conducting, and advising on policy related to civil rights investigation while at the U.S. Department of Education to conduct thorough and impartial investigations on sensitive and high-profile matters for school districts.   

While in private practice, Marcelo represented government entities in charter school matters and commercial clients in corporate and government investigations, securities enforcement, and complex commercial litigation.  His pro bono practice emphasized educational equity, including language access, school assignment practices, and a case in which he represented Mexican American students challenging Arizona’s ethnic studies ban. Marcelo’s professional expertise includes education law, civil rights laws, government contracting and investigations, policy initiatives and affirmative litigation, and juvenile justice records, institutions, and services. 

As a first-generation college student and a second-generation immigrant who first learned about resilience and the importance of education from witnessing the persistence and achievements of his family, Marcelo has dedicated his career to expanding educational opportunities for students. 

Office practice areas

• Education Law Team 
• Social Justice and Impact Litigation Team 

​​Education

• University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, J.D., 2011 
• Florida State University, B.A., magna cum laude, 2005 

Professional associations

• San Francisco La Raza Lawyers Association 
• Leadership Institute Fellow of the Center for American Progress (2016) 
• Advisory Committee Member of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Education Law Clinic (2014)

Prior experience

• Supervising Attorney at the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (2016-2017) 
• Attorney at the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (2014-2016) 
• Associate at Bingham McCutchen LLP (2012-2014) 
• Fifth grade teacher at Los Angeles Unified School District (2005-2008)