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EDUCATION LAW DEPARTMENT

The education law department at Wisler Pearlstine has been advising educational entities for over five decades. Our clients currently include public school districts, charter schools and educational management organizations throughout southeastern Pennsylvania.

The education law department consists of nine attorneys, each of whom specializes in one or more areas of education law. We provide counsel for schools regarding employment, special education and pupil personnel matters acting as either the solicitor or special counsel. We provide assistance regarding ongoing concerns, such as policy and procedure development, pupil personnel matters, tax assessment and school finance as well as for individual events, such as litigation regarding employment matters, student discipline and special education issues. Moreover, we provide regular updates for our clients regarding current developments in education law, and we are always available to conduct presentations on current education law topics.

Our attorneys have a variety of employment experiences in the field of education which enhance their ability to provide legal guidance regarding issues specific to schools. The backgrounds of our education law department members include teaching on the elementary, secondary and post-secondary levels, clinical psychology and psychological assessment, educational civil rights enforcement, child welfare and otherwise working in education or with children. We understand that schools today are faced with new and unique challenges. For example, the balance between individual and collective student rights has never been more critical. Our attorneys work together to help our clients navigate the current legal climate for schools using the perspective, legal knowledge and expertise of all of our education attorneys. Additionally, the education law group works with the firm's experts in other areas of law, including construction law, tax law, non-profit corporation law, and domestic law to enhance the consistent, high-quality representation that our firm provides.

In addition to providing counsel regarding general education law, we offer counsel in the following areas of specialization.

Employment Law:
The employment law subgroup provides legal counsel regarding both complex and routine personnel matters and employment litigation. This subgroup regularly counsels and provides training to both public and private employers concerning issues arising under state and federal employment discrimination statutes, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act, as well as traditional labor disputes involving the labor-management relationship and disputes involving individual employee rights. For more information contact Justin M. O'Donoghue, Esquire; Kenneth A. Roos, Esquire; and Megan E. Shafer, Esquire.

Special Education Law:
The special education law subgroup provides legal counsel during special education due process hearings, IEP meetings, and pre-hearing conferences, as well as counsel regarding general compliance with federal and state special education law in individual cases and on an on-going basis. For more information contact Lawrence Dodds, Esquire, Esquire, Claudia L. Huot, Esquire, or Kenneth A. Roos, Esquire.

Pupil Personnel Law:
The Pupil Personnel Law subgroup provides legal counsel regarding the entire range of student issues. These include student discipline, student rights, confidentiality, and school governance. For more information contact Justin M. O'Donoghue, Esquire, or Kenneth A. Roos, Esquire.

Construction Law:
The Construction Law subgroup assists our clients in all aspects of school construction from initial contract and specification drafting, to bid opening and issues, through resolution of construction disputes. We believe that working with our clients and tailoring contracts and specifications to each client,s needs and expectations increases the likelihood that a project will run smoothly. If and when disputes arise, we have the knowledge and experience to advise our clients and effectively assist in the efficient resolution of often complex construction disputes either through negotiation, mediation, arbitration and/or litigation. For more information contact Justin M. O'Donoghue, Esquire, Kenneth A. Roos, Esquire, or Jeffrey P. Wallack, Esquire.