Mary C. Vargas

Partner

Mary Vargas is a partner with Stein & Vargas, LLP and has for nearly three decades represented individuals with disabilities in matters involving the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Fair Housing Act, and the Air Carrier Access Act. Vargas has a special interest in representing children.

Vargas has won key victories throughout the United States on behalf of individuals with disabilities including:

• Argenyi v. Creighton University in which Vargas served as lead trial counsel and argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit resulting in a jury verdict that it was discrimination to deny a deaf medical student accommodations.
• Ramsay v. National Board of Medical Examiners which resulted in a preliminary injunction being awarded to a medical student with learning disabilities who needed accommodations on the United States Medical Licensing Examination. Vargas and her cocounsel successfully defended the preliminary injunction in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.
• National Association of the Deaf v. State of Florida in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit which held that deaf citizens have a right to participation in civic life.
• D. v. Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit establishing that venues may be required to permit people with medically necessary dietary restrictions to bring in their own safe food.

Vargas was awarded the 2017 FARE Vision Award for advocacy on behalf of children with food allergies and the 2016 Eagle Award for her role as lead trial and appellate counsel in groundbreaking litigation on behalf of a deaf medical student. She is a 1998 Skadden Fellow and a 1994 Truman Scholar.

Vargas speaks nationally on issues relating to disability rights, food allergy, celiac disease, and testing accommodations, and has served on multiple expert panels to develop national guidelines for management of food allergies and celiac disease in K-12 education and colleges.  She is admitted to practice in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Connecticut and has argued cases before the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the 2d, 3rd, 4th, 8th, and 11th Circuits and is admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court.

Vargas has a degree in deaf education and uses American Sign Language.

Vargas is also available to serve as a Best Interests Attorney in the Circuit Court for Frederick County, Maryland.