Experienced Students & Special Education Attorney

Hodges Loizzi Eisenhammer Rodick & Kohn LLP is a highly respected Illinois law firm in the Chicago metropolitan area specializing in the representation of Illinois school districts, charter schools, special education cooperatives, and non-public schools. The Firm has three offices throughout Illinois and currently represents over 175 Illinois school entities. With approximately 30 lawyers and 10+ administrative staff, our Firm is large enough to devote substantial and diverse resources to our clients’ representation, while maintaining the high-touch services that meet our clients’ individual needs.

Our Itasca office is actively seeking an experienced attorney to join our Students & Special Education Practice Group. The selected candidate will work with our clients to:

• Counsel client administrators and school boards on a wide range of student and special education matters, including, but not limited to, attendance, bullying, busing, curriculum, discipline, enrollment & graduation, grading issues, residency, student constitutional rights, Title IX, evaluations, programming and placement, and restraints and time outs
• Review and produce relevant student records in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the Illinois School Student Records Act
• Conduct internal student investigations
• Draft and negotiate mediation and settlement agreements for student placement and educational services
• Review and develop policies and procedures as required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1974
• Conduct in-service training and seminars on a wide range of student and special education issues
• Participate, when necessary, in IEP and Section 504 meetings
• Represent our clients at mediations, in due process hearings, and in any subsequent appeal of a due process decision

Minimum Qualifications:

• Three (3) years of student and/or special education legal experience
• Juris Doctor from an accredited law school
• Licensed to practice law in Illinois
• Strong analytical capabilities
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills
• Comfortable speaking and writing about complex matters in plain English, to clearly state conclusions and recommendations with supporting rationale, to legal and non-legal client contacts
• Commitment to professionalism
• Capable of working both independently and collaboratively with a team
• Superior research and writing skills
• Proven ability to manage a complex workload

Salary and Benefits:

Salary Range:$115,000 - $140,000, commensurate with experience

Annual Billable Hours Requirement: 1,750 hours

Flexibility:
In-office requirement of 4 days per week, initially

Core Coverages:

• 100% Firm paid single coverage for Medical, Dental, Life, LTD, and AD&D insurance
• Affordable vision insurance offering
• Available Flex Spending plan
• 100% Firm-paid Short-Term Disability (eligibility requirements)
• Available pet insurance coverage

Investments: 401K with historical, annual 3-4 % contribution from partnership

Time to Recharge:

• 11 paid holidays
• 6 weeks paid Maternity Leave, including credit to billable hours requirement (under Firm’s Disability Policy)
• 6 weeks paid Parental Leave, including credit to billable hours requirement

Wellness:
On-site health club membership available

Other:

• Annual stipend for Continuing Legal Education training and individual bar membership fees
• 100% Firm-paid annual ARDC and select Firm-designated organization membership fees
• 100% payment of real estate closing attorney’s fees (with use of firm designated, outside counsel)
• $80.00 monthly mobile phone stipend

Interested candidates are directed to forward their cover letter and resume, along with a current writing sample, to  Please note that phone calls will not be accepted.

Hodges Loizzi Eisenhammer Rodick & Kohn will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant’s age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, and veteran or disability status. We are committed to cultivating an environment that embraces and promotes diversity as a fundamental value.