Education

Tressler's Education Practice includes experienced attorneys prepared to satisfy the legal and practical needs of any school, cooperative or school district in Illinois.

Tressler attorneys have represented a  variety  of  entities  from  small  downstate  districts,  to  large diverse suburban school districts to independent charter schools. We  recognize  that  each  client  is  unique with different needs and budgets. Tressler attorneys  forge  strong,  trusting  relationships  with their clients which lead to  long-term  partnerships  with  boards  and management teams. This allows  us  to support administrators, educators and most importantly, students. With a results-driven focus, Tressler  is able to provide cost-effective guidance regardless of the issues that may be facing the client.

We have extensive depth in providing general counsel services such as managing board matters, negotiating contracts, finance, personnel, intergovernment agreements, navigating real estate and construction projects. Whether your question stems from Student Discipline, Title IX, Open Meetings Act, Freedom of Information Act, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, Illinois School Student Records Act, 504s or IEPS, you will receive prompt, practical advice.   Additionally, unlike many firms that are forced  to outsource work in certain areas, the Education Practice is able to offer the “value add” that we can call on our Tressler attorneys to handle niched areas such as: tax objections, cyber liability issues such as SOPPA and data breaches, insurance coverage matters, intellectual property items, environmental concerns, civil rights, workers compensation defense and other tort matters.

Labor issues and employment matters often loom large as one of the biggest forces within your world. Tressler attorneys have extensive experience handling grievances and negotiating collective bargaining agreements. At the client’s request, we can act as lead counsel throughout the entire collective bargaining process or serve as behind-the-scenes consultants on isolated issues. Our objective is that your collective bargaining agreement empowers you to achieve your goals without labor disruptions that interfere with  the educational process and divert precious resources from the classroom. Likewise, today’s employment landscape is filled with potential landmines. We can help your human resources to avoid unnecessary exposures while being mindful that risk management must be cost effective. Our attorneys regularly provide counsel on issues involving hiring, firing, teacher discipline and remediation process, Americans with Disabilities Act, Family and Medical Leave Act and we regularly appear in EEOC and IDHR hearings to protect our client’s interests.

Our goal is to work with our clients in a cost-effective and proactive manner so that risk management and educational  missions can  be  attained.  We  listen  and  provide  resources such as handbooks, policies, procedures and timely advice to ensure compliance with  the  current  laws. As  issues  emerge and school laws develop, we keep our clients up-to-date with newsletters, seminars and in-service  offerings tailored to your needs.

We advise, counsel and represent school districts in nearly every legal issue they may face, including, but not limited to, the following:

• Board Services
• Labor and Employment
• Student Matters
• Privacy
• SOPPA Compliance
• Constitutional Rights
• Legislation
• Real Estate and Construction
• Procurement and Contracts
• Special Education
• Public Finance
• Tort Immunity
• Policies and Procedures
• Litigation
• Charter Schools

For more information or to request a complimentary consultation, contact attorney Elizabeth F. Wagman at ewagman@tresslerllp.com or 312.768.2277.