Lisa focuses her practice on special education law, school law, and labor and employment law. She provides general counsel to school districts in relation to personnel and student matters, including discipline, Sunshine Laws, board policies, residency and custody, public and education records, confidentiality, constitutional rights, and discrimination concerns. Lisa counsels boards of education on laws related to the education of students with disabilities and regularly provides preventative services to school district personnel: leading in-service sessions, reviewing special education records for legal compliance, attending IEP and ETR team meetings, representing boards of education in direct requests for mediation, and issuing guidance relating to systemic and programmatic matters. Lisa also handles all aspects of litigation related to student and employee issues. She has represented boards of education in student matters before the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce and U.S. Department of Education, and in state and federal court. She handles employment and general board litigation, and has represented boards of education in these matters before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Ohio Civil Rights Commission (OCRC), and in state and federal court.
Lisa co-hosted six seasons of the podcast, “Class Act: Updates in Education Law,” which covers legal topics relevant to school districts, board of education members, and school personnel.
Lisa brings nearly a decade of experience into her legal career from her prior work as a school psychologist in Ohio and Arizona (both in public school districts and charter schools, and with student caseloads ranging from preschool through high school) and supplementary training related to autism assessment and Applied Behavior Analysis Therapy. Such background and knowledge allows Lisa to assist school districts with their special education challenges utilizing innovative and comprehensive legal services.
As a former participant, Lisa serves on the executive committee for FDCC Ladder Down for Women Lawyers, a program that provides direct training and career development to empower women lawyers in leadership, business development, and mentoring.
Education
Press, Publications and Presentations
Representative Matters
EDUCATION GENERAL COUNSEL SERVICES
-Represents school districts involved in litigation filed in state and federal court. Advises school districts regarding legislative interpretation, implications, and updates.
-Advises school districts regarding numerous issues impacting school districts including liability waivers, arbitration, confidentiality, student travel, ethics, transgender students, food allergies, home school requirements, IAT/RTI guidelines.
-Advises and assists school districts with investigations, such as those related to bullying, harassment, Title
IX, discrimination.
-Advises school districts regarding enrollment and residency issues, including representation in district of residency determination challenges before the Superintendent of Public Instruction and in court.
-Assists school districts with policy review, development, and application.
SPECIAL EDUCATION
-Counsels school districts regarding special education laws, regulations, and procedural compliance.
-Represents school districts before ODE, OCR in matters related to IDEA and Section 504 from initial administrative responses, investigations, interviews, pleadings, effective mediation resolutions and hearings.
-Resolves due process complaints and disputes through mediation in a cost-effective and expeditious manner.
-Completes special education process case assessments for school districts including compliance audits and review of documents for legal defensibility.
-Attends IEP and ETR meetings in contentious situations.
-Represents districts in situations involving development of IEPs, IDEA procedural compliance, FAPE, Child Find, Section 504, student discipline, residency and custody issues, among others.
-Reviews school district’s policies regarding special education and response to intervention and assists school district teams in developing compliant policies and procedures for Section 504/IDEA.
LABOR & EMPLOYMENT
-Counsels school districts regarding employee conduct, responsibilities, and contract issues. Represents school districts in procedural requirements for employee disciplinary matters.
-Counsels school districts regarding employment and personnel issues, including discrimination claims, discipline, FMLA, and ADA implications.
-Advises school districts regarding collective bargaining units and agreements, MOUs,, resolutions, etc.
LITIGATION
-Manages school law matters, such as special education, bullying/harassment, restraint/seclusion, discrimination and Constitutional claims, at every stage of the litigation process.
SUNSHINE LAW/PUBLIC RECORDS
-Assists school districts with voluminous public records requests and responses, including compliance and appropriate denial of requests.
-Advises school districts on compliance with the Ohio Public Records Act.
STUDENT ISSUES
-Advises school districts regarding legal and policy compliance related to student conduct and discipline, including representation during disciplinary proceedings.
-Represents school districts in discrimination complaints filed with the Office of Civil Rights.
-Counsels school districts regarding implications and applications of Family Educational Rights and Privacy
Act (FERPA) and student privacy concerns.
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
-Assists school districts with interpretation, application, and administration of collective bargaining agreements.
-Develops collective bargaining agreement provisions for school districts.
-Responded on behalf of school districts to unfair labor charges filed with the State Employment Relations
Board.
LABOR & EMPLOYMENT (general - not education law specific)
-Counsels clients regarding employee conduct, responsibilities, and contract issues.
-Counsels clients regarding employment and personnel issues, including discrimination claims, discipline, FMLA, and ADA implications.
-Responds to public agency requests regarding employer separation information.
-Reviews and analyzes employer requirements to use state programs such as the Ohio Rapback System. Represents clients in discrimination proceedings before the EEOC, OCR, and OCRC.
Professional Associations
Member
Member
Member
Member
Executive Committee Member (2024)
Honors, Awards and Civic/Community Involvement
Bar Admissions
216-687-3382
