Education Law

Our school law attorneys have a very broad practice, combining a comprehensive labor and employment practice with expertise in various education law issues.  The depth and breadth of our attorneys’ experience enables us to understand public education clients and the issues faced by today’s boards of education and their administrators.  We focus on front-end solutions and strategies to resolve potential conflicts.  When conflicts cannot be avoided, we engage in problem-solving and provide practical, real-world solutions to the problems our clients encounter.  Our firm is sensitive to the financial constraints school districts face, and we actively work with clients to provide cost-effective solutions to complex problems.

We represent school districts on a multitude of issues including collective bargaining with unions, grievance arbitrations, student discipline disputes, special education issues and litigation, school-related constitutional issues, investigations, equal employment opportunity claims before the Ohio Civil Rights Commission and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, unfair labor practice and representation proceedings before the State Employment Relations Board, workers’ and unemployment compensation claims, school and employment-related litigation, occupational safety and health issues, school territorial transfer issues, property valuation issues before county boards of revision and the State Board of Tax Appeals, public records issues and open meetings issues. Our clients view us as knowledgeable, trusted counselors who provide guidance and advice to navigate the legal, political, public relations and financial aspects of legal disputes.  We provide counsel by reviewing, drafting, negotiating, and interpreting contracts, including collective bargaining agreements, lease agreements and real estate agreements. We regularly advise districts on matters related to the sale of school property, the acquisition of property and competitive bidding procedures.