K-12 Education

Miller Nash’s education team is comprised of a diverse group of attorneys who regularly work with public school districts and private schools, providing trusted counsel tailored to the unique needs of K-12 educational institutions.

Our team members are honored to partner with school boards, superintendents, leadership teams, and in-house counsel to address legal challenges in a way that aligns with the entity’s organizational values and goals.

Comprehensive Legal Services for K-12 Schools

Our education attorneys manage a wide array of legal matters for schools and are highly knowledgeable about traditional legal issues, such as:

• Employment issues, including educator rights, discipline, and dismissal
• Traditional labor law matters, including collective bargaining, unfair labor practice proceedings, strategy development, contract administration and grievance processing, as well as representation in proceedings before ERB, in interest arbitrations, and grievance arbitrations
• Constitutional issues including First Amendment and due process obligations
• School board advice and governance issues
• Public records and meetings
• All aspects of special education
• Civil rights issues, including Title IX and other anti-discrimination laws
• Oregon ethics laws
• Student conduct and dismissal matters
• Sexual misconduct claims
• School safety
• Serious personal injury claims
• Data and information management
• Intellectual property

We regularly represent institutions facing claims or addressing compliance issues under all major statutes impacting educational institutions, including the ADA, Section 504, the IDEA, FERPA, and the host of federal and state regulatory schemes affecting entities serving K-12 students.

We also serve schools and districts in a myriad of other areas, including election law; insurance recovery; land use permitting; public contracting and procurement, including construction contracting; real estate; public finance; and environmental compliance and toxic tort claims.

Representation in Administrative & Court Proceedings

Our work includes representation before administrative agencies, including the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and comparable state agencies. We also represent institutions when they are sued in state and federal courts. We are aware of the environment in which schools operate and have significant experience in resolving legal challenges in a manner that preserves important relationships and promotes the values of public education.

Training & Education for School Leaders

Our education attorneys frequently provide customized trainings and workshops to clients and education industry groups across the region. Topics include:

• Free speech and student expression
• Title IX compliance
• Student discipline and due process
• Religious freedom
• Discrimination and harassment prevention
• Mental health issues in the workplace
• Equity goals and initiatives
• Special education

Coordinated & Client-Focused Service

We understand the importance of delivering excellent, responsive, and practical legal advice that considers the complex daily work of school districts and independent schools, and we approach each matter with the goal of providing high-level legal services in a cost‐effective manner. We also embrace the equity mission of schools and districts and work closely with clients in implementing legal strategies that reflect and support their equity initiatives.