Find Lawyers in Washington, United States for Education Law
Practice Area Overview
Areas of coverage for public education (pre-Kindergarten – 12) typically include:
- Board organization/operations – ethics issues, sunshine laws, public records requests, and the development/revision of policies.
- Construction – public improvements, architect and construction contracts, competitive bidding documents and procedures.
- Federal and state employment laws – Fair Labor Standards Act, Family Medical Leave Act, Title VII, Title IX, Americans With Disabilities Act, OSHA, workers’ compensation, reductions-in force, health benefits, pensions/retirement plans, tax sheltered annuities, evaluations, employment contracts.
- Financing – counseling and supervision of proceedings for debt and lease-based financing of capital improvements and for cash-flow financings including state law, federal tax, and securities law analysis and assistance.
- Labor relations and collective bargaining – employee grievances, arbitration, unfair labor practice claims, union negotiations, fact-findings, and impasse/strike preparations.
- Acquisition and disposition of property – office equipment, energy conservation measures, and the leasing, purchase, and sale of property.
- Special education law – counseling on compliance with Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, attendance at Individualized Education Program meetings, mediations, and due process hearings, staff training, legislative involvement, and court appeals.
- Student rights and responsibilities – custody, residency, transportation, discipline, student records/privacy, first amendment issues, and tuition.
- Territory transfers – procedures for district reorganization including annexation, consolidation and transfer.
- Board of trustee meetings, functions, and resolutions
- Bond financing
- Bylaws, faculty guidelines and administrative manuals
- Litigation over testamentary gifts
- Executive compensation
- Development, fundraising, and implementation of gifts
- Taxation of income from ancillary sources
- Intellectual property ownership and licensing
Susan C. Hastings
Richard D. Manoloff
Squire Patton Boggs
Char Eberhardt, a partner in the firm's Labor & Employment practice, focuses on public and private sector labor relations, and class action litigation. He provides counseling on administrative proceedings, grievance arbitration and wage-and-hour issues. He has extensive experience representing clients, such as The Boeing Company, in high-stakes arbitration matters, including subcontractor arbitration disputes. He also handles a wide range of public sector labor matters, including teacher ...
Valerie Hughes, a partner with the firm's Labor and Employment practice, has more than 25 years of experience in the areas of employment litigation, discrimination and harassment litigation, collective bargaining, grievance arbitration, and administrative proceedings. In addition to her representation of private employers, Val provides general counsel representation to Washington school districts, including state and federal court litigation and administrative hearings.
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Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
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