Attorneys

• Education General Counsel:  Provides comprehensive advice and counsel to boards of education throughout the state of Ohio, including advising on public records, open meetings and board policy and governance issues, ethics and contracting advice, contract drafting and interpretation, community and media relations, litigation preparation and avoidance.
• Collective Bargaining:  Negotiates labor contracts on behalf of boards of education with teaching and nonteaching unions.  Represents boards in mediation, arbitration, fact-finding and proceedings before the State Employment Relations Board.   
• Special Education Counseling & Litigation:  Defends boards of education in special education due process proceedings, administrative proceedings and in federal court.  Provides proactive advice to manage special education disputes and compliance concerns.   
• Employment Law:  Defends boards of education in complaints before the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and other state agencies; represents clients in all aspects of employment law, from managing internal complaints and investigations, day to day human resources issues, and complex litigation.   
• Student Matters:  Provides guidance and advice on various student matters, including bullying, parent complaints, student discipline, equity and diversity issues, and student records and privacy concerns.   
• School Business Operations:  Provides proactive advice, review, drafting and negotiations regarding vendor contracts and strategic partnerships, risk assessment and management, and advice regarding financial issues.    
• Investigations:  Provides guidance to administrators conducting investigations or directly assists with investigations into student and staff issues.   
• Litigation:  Represents boards of education through all phases of litigation, including employee and student discrimination and civil rights cases; constitutional claims, including equal protection; Section 1983 claims; retaliation claims; sexual harassment and Title IX claims; teacher termination and employee discharge cases; and student discipline and special education claims.

Julia frequently speaks and writes on the following topics:  

• Public sector labor and employment law 
• Special education 
• School law and boardsmanship  
• Sunshine law (public records and open meetings) 
• Student issues, including discipline, bullying and investigations 
• Booster groups 
• Ethics 
• Harassment and discrimination issues, including Title IX 

 Julia has presented for the following organizations: 

• The Ohio State University 
• Ohio State Bar Association
• Columbus Bar Association 
• Ohio School Boards Association
• Ohio Association of School Business Officials 
• Ohio Association of Pupil Services Administrators 
• Ohio Council of School Board Attorneys

Julia has authored the following publications:  

• Student Discipline, Ohio School Boards Association  
• Ohio School Records Guide, Ohio School Boards Association (past edition) 
• Contributing author, Baldwin’s Ohio School Law Journal  
• Contributing author, OSBA Journal 
• Amicus Curiae brief author, OSBA Legal Assistance Fund 
• Legal Updates for Ohio Association of Pupil Services Administrators 

• Ohio Council of School Board Attorneys, Executive Board Member 
• Ohio Council of School Board Attorneys Special Education Roundtable, Member 
• Volunteer, Columbus MetroParks (2013-2017) 

Julia is on a mission to visit every National Park in the United States.  So far, she has checked off 16, and usually has her next hiking trip in the planning stages.