OUR TEAM

Most school lawyers were lawyers and found education law as a practice area.  Cassie is unique—she is an educator who went to law school.  She has 17 years of experience in education as a school psychologist, assistant principal, director of student services, and assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, and has worked with students and families from early childhood through high school.  Cassie has experience in a wide array of issues including special education, student discipline, and student rights and responsibilities. As a former educator, Cassie understands the needs of clients and is able to help arrive at student- centered solutions that blend best practices and legal requirements. She remains an educator today as an adjunct professor at Loyola University’s School of Education.

Recent examples of Cassie’s work include:

• Attending IEP meetings and assisting in due process matters;
• Handling an OCR investigation related to disability discrimination;
• Social/emotional and behavioral supports through the use of Functional Behavioral Assessment, Behavior Intervention Plans, Restorative Practices, and Trauma informed practices;
• Transgender student issues; and
• Social media, student records, homelessness and confidentiality.

Moreover, Cassie brings over 10 years of administrative experience in Illinois schools where she excelled in the following:

• Supporting students with diverse needs by overseeing special education services, English Language Learner services, accelerated placement, and supports for at-risk learners through the use of a Multi-Tiered System of Support;
• Curriculum development and implementation across all curricular areas for pre-K-8;
• Grant writing and compliance including IDEA and Title grants;
• District-level committee facilitation including the Educator Evaluation System Committee, District Leadership Team, Parent-Teacher Behavioral Advisory Committee, Professional Development Committee;
• Certified educator evaluation practices;
• Supports for students in temporary living situations by acting as the district homeless liaison and foster care liaison; and
• District practices related to student records.

Cassie earned her J.D, magna cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. She additionally has an Ed.S. from the University of Northern Colorado, an M.A. from Roosevelt University, and received her B.A. from Augustana College. Cassie lives in Chicago, Illinois.

Sara commands every room she enters. She is known for her direct advice and engaging personality.  She started her career representing Boards of Education, until being named General Counsel for the Illinois Association of School Administrators.  During her years at IASA, Sara negotiated thousands of administrator contracts, advised the association on policies and legislative initiatives, and represented the association on numerous task forces and legislative matters.  Sara assisted in drafting and implementing many of the major initiatives of the last 12 years, including Evidence Based Funding, the Performance Evaluation Reform Act, and student discipline reform. Sara is a sought-after speaker at state, local and national conferences on School Law, education reforms and administrative employment contracts. She is also an Affiliate Professor at Southern Illinois University.

Recent examples of Sara’s work include:

• Collective bargaining – both traditional and interest-based bargaining;
• Employee discipline and dismissal;
• Employment contracts;
• Employee grievances and arbitrations;
• Human Resources issues, including the FMLA and FLSA;
• Student discipline and student rights;
• Trauma informed practices;
• Board and Administrator relationships;
• Board governance issues; and
• Crisis counseling and management.

Sara earned her J.D. from Chicago Kent, College of Law and her B.S. from Eastern Illinois University. She is admitted to practice in the State of Illinois, as well as the Supreme Court of the United States of America, the Illinois Supreme Court, United States District Courts for the Northern, Central and Southern Districts of Illinois.

Kevin is a steady presence and can help make a client comfortable in the most difficult of situations.  While many school attorneys have become specialists within our field, Kevin has the breadth of experience to advise clients on most subjects. He has experience in special education, student discipline, student residency, student records and confidentiality, intergovernmental agreements, school finance, construction, employment, labor, collective bargaining, business transactions, real estate, tax objection, tax increment financing, and general school law issues. He has represented public school districts of all types and sizes for over 20 years, including 18 years in Illinois.

Recent examples of Kevin’s work include:

• Prevailing in special education due process hearings for elementary, high school, and unit school districts;
• Handling OCR investigations related to disability discrimination, racial discriminations, and sexual assault;
• Review and negotiation of architects, construction manager, and construction contracts for new school building and additions;
• Negotiating teachers and educational support staff contracts, including managing strikes;
• Drafting the ballot question and assisting with management of communications during successful referenda to increases limiting rates; and
• Litigating cases at the trial and appellate court level regarding the teacher reduction-in-force statute and affirming a six-month laches period for school employees to file suit to challenge their termination.

Kevin is a past Chairman of the Illinois Council of School Attorneys and currently serves as a member of its special education committee.

Kevin earned his J.D. from Southern Methodist University and his B.A. from Vanderbilt University. He is admitted to practice in the states of Illinois and Texas, and United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.  Kevin and his family live in Western Springs, Illinois.

First and foremost, Chas is an advocate for young people in the public education setting. He has dedicated his career to advocating for public education and improving outcomes for young people in public schools. Prior to attending law school, Chas worked as a youth advocate with the New Orleans Juvenile Public Defender’s Office and the Southern Poverty Law Center. His colleagues at the Southern Poverty Law Center encouraged him to attend law school and become and education lawyer.

After graduating from law school, Chas worked for a large firm in New Orleans as an education lawyer, representing school districts and charter schools across Louisiana in several aspects, including special education, student discipline, general liability, school policy, board governance, student privacy, and school accountability matters. Chas also worked as a litigator with the firm, specifically handling insurance, employment, and general liability cases. Given his diverse background, Chas prides himself on anticipating potential roadblocks and analyzing issues from several viewpoints. Chas is a natural problem solver and enjoys navigating complex issues with school administrators and boards.

Recent Examples of Chas’s work include:

• Assisting with the creation and training of a new board to oversee special schools and special education services in custodial settings in Louisiana;
• Handling special education administrative proceedings;
• Responding to OCR and state formal complaints regarding special education issues;
• Drafting policies related to religious accommodations and accommodations for gender non-conforming students;
• Drafting policies related to student privacy and confidentiality;
• Assisting school boards in investigating claims of malfeasance amongst school administrators and teachers;
• Investigating claims of improper relationships between a school leader and a student in a custodial facility.

Originally from Texas, Chas spent the last 18 years in New Orleans, Louisiana, working in education, juvenile justice, and civil rights. Chas earned his J.D. from the Loyola University New Orleans College of Law and his B.A. from the Loyola University New Orleans. He is admitted to practice in the state and federal courts of the State of Louisiana. His admission to practice in Illinois is pending.

For Adam, public education is a family affair.  His father is a retired superintendent, his mother is a retired elementary school teacher, and his brother is currently a vice principal.  Thus, when Adam graduated from law school, it came as no surprise when he chose to focus his legal practice on representing educational institutions.

Adam has worked at school law firms in Missouri and Illinois for nearly a decade.  He has served as both general counsel and litigation counsel for numerous school districts, colleges, and other employers.  He has successfully represented clients in state and federal courts, and before administrative agencies including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, the National Labor Relations Board, the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor, the Illinois Department of Human Rights, and the Missouri Commission on Human Rights.  Adam has also handled grievances, arbitrations, mediations, tenured teacher dismissals, and student discipline matters.

Recent examples of Adam’s work include:

• Defending a school district in a negligent supervision lawsuit filed by female students that were allegedly assaulted by a male student;
• Representing a school district in an audit conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor regarding the district’s payroll practices;
• Responding to an IDHR charge concerning an alleged improper relationship between a teacher and a student;
• Conducting an independent investigation into claims of inappropriate conduct by a high-profile NCAA Division I basketball coach;
• Defending a university in an employment discrimination lawsuit filed by a former professor.

Adam earned his J.D. from the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law. Prior to attending law school, Adam graduated with honors from the College of Education at Mizzou.  He is admitted to practice in the state and federal courts of Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas.

Shane specializes in managing difficult situations.  Whether it be a bargaining table, a difficult Board-Superintendent relationship, or a student discipline matter, his kindness, humor, and pragmatic approach to conflict naturally eases tensions and helps resolve problems.  Clients – and opponents – know and respect him because he is empathetic even when he is adverse.  

Shane is a veteran attorney with over two decades of education, labor and employment law experience. While the depth of his experience in labor and employment law is exceptional, he expertly handles general education law issues for K-12 and Higher Education clients as well.

Recent Examples of Shane’s Work Include

• All aspects of collective bargaining and labor relations, both traditional bargaining and interest based bargaining;
• Grievance processing and arbitration;
• Employment issues, including the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, and the American’s with Disabilities Act;
• Successful defense of adverse employment actions before various tribunals including the EEOC and the IDHR;
• Employment relationships, contracts, and benefits;
• Conducting employee investigations;
• Terminations and reductions in force;
• Open Meetings Act issues; and
• Student discipline matters

D. Shane Jones has been named an “Illinois Leading Lawyer” in School Law, Labor Law (Management), Employment Law (Management), and Governmental, Municipal, Lobbying & Administrative Law.

Shane earned his J.D. from Washington University School of Law in 1997 and his B.A. in Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma in 1993. He is admitted to practice in Illinois and Missouri. Shane and his wife Janine live in the Edwardsville, Illinois area with their four children.

Stephanie has education in her blood.  Her mother was a teacher, an elementary school principal and her role model.  Growing up in an environment where education and equity are both core values led Stephanie to the practice of school law, where she quickly became a leader in the field.  She has over 18 years of experience spanning all areas of school law, including labor and employment, litigation, student matters, business workings, special education and board governance matters along with experience advising school administrators. Stephanie is a sought-after speaker on many school law topics, at the local, state and national levels. As former General Counsel for the Illinois State Board of Education, she has unparalleled knowledge of the inner workings of the ISBE and understands what it takes to run a large governmental organization.

Recent examples of Stephanie’s work include:

• Leading a public inquiry into the special education practices at Chicago Public Schools and the implementation of the resulting corrective action initiatives;
• Advising ISBE on a variety of legal issues, including evidence-based funding, the Open Meetings Act (OMA), Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), agency procurement, student discipline, student residency, wellness, records and competency-based education;
• Negotiated legislation on behalf of ISBE;
• Participated in special education mediation and prevailed in due process cases;
• Prevailed in grievance arbitration;
• Collective Bargaining using both traditional and interest-based bargaining for clients of any scope; and
• Managing Board and community relations

Stephanie earned her J.D. from St. Louis University School of Law and her B.A. in Mass Communication from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. She is admitted to practice in the States of Illinois, the Seventh Circuit Federal Appellate Court, and United States District Court for the Northern and Southern District of Illinois.  Stephanie and her family live in Crystal Lake, Illinois.

Elizabeth is a natural school lawyer. You would expect nothing less from the daughter of a Superintendent and public educator. Growing up, the cadence of the school year formed the rhythm of her life. She watched and learned as her father managed Board meetings, community relations, negotiations, finances and student concerns. In her practice, Elizabeth uses her own real-world experiences from growing up immersed in education to provide clients with real world, pragmatic advice to help solve their problems. Elizabeth works on a wide variety of school law matters, including finance and business transactions, labor and personnel disputes, board governance, student discipline and special education matters.

Recent examples of Elizabeth’s work include:

• Working with and advising boards on employment relationships, contracts, and dismissals
• Preparing intergovernmental agreements between school districts and local municipalities
• FOIA and OMA matters
• Advising on interfund transfers and EBF funding matters
• Handling issues related to student confidentiality, including student records requests
• Assisting in student disciplinary hearings
• Responding special education due process complaints and assisting in preparations for hearings and mediation
• Preparing intervenor responses in matters before the PTAB

Elizabeth earned her J.D. from the University of Illinois and her B.A. from the University of Illinois, Springfield. She is admitted to practice in the States of Illinois and Missouri and the U.S. District of the Southern District of Illinois.

For Darcy, education law is personal.  She was the first person in her family to graduate from college let alone law school. She has dedicated her career to representing boards of education and is widely known in the field for her personal touch, creative and collaborative resolutions, volunteer work, and her enormous heart.  Darcy specializes in issues related to special education, student rights and student responsibilities, but she also has extensive experience in general education law, board governance, collective bargaining and employment.

Recent examples of Darcy’s work include:

• Collective bargaining – both IBB and standard for clients large and small;
• High-profile student discipline matters, e.g., arson, weapons, drugs, assaults, ;
• Special Education due process and mediation;
• Employee grievances and arbitrations;
• Transgender student issues;
• Medically fragile student services and the administration of medication;
• Student death, injury, abuse and neglect;
• Social media, student records, homelessness and confidentiality; and
• Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act

Recognition:

• Super Lawyers® 2021 Honoree
• In 2016, Darcy received the Vita Plena Award from Lyons Township High School District 204 for her extensive volunteer work with the LT Transition Program garden, which she helped design and install. Vita Plena represents the ‘quest for the fulfilling life,’ LT’s century-old motto.
• In 2006, Darcy was chosen as one of Illinois’ 40 under 40 attorneys to watch. She earned this unique distinction in recognition of her exceptional lawyering skills in the field of education law and her commitment to the profession.

Darcy earned her J.D. from the John Marshall Law School in 1992 and her B.A. in Psychology, magna cum laude, from Mundelein College in Chicago in 1989. She is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, all federal District Courts in Illinois and is a member of the federal court Trial Bar. Darcy and her family reside in La Grange, Illinois.