School and Education Law

We Know the Ins and Outs of Schools and Rules

Peacock Keller, LLP has represented public school districts in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for over 95 years. Our school district clients benefit from our experience and rich history of service within the field and from our school attorneys' daily immersion in many facets of public school representation.

In addition, the collaboration among our School Law group and numerous other departments within our firm ensures that our clients receive capable representation with respect to a broad variety of legal issues facing public schools. For more information, please call (724) 471-6650.

Education

Our school law attorneys are recognized as leaders in the field, having served, and continuing to serve, in numerous leadership positions within the Pennsylvania School Board Solicitors Association. They are also frequent lecturers at seminars for school administrators, teachers and fellow solicitors.

Because they are highly attuned to current issues in school law, our attorneys are equipped to serve our clients in an efficient and proactive manner. We provide well-researched legal opinions and recommend policy updates that are focused upon issues relevant to all of our school district clients.

Guidance

Our attorneys who serve as the primary solicitors for our clients devote the most substantial portion of their practices to school law, which allows for knowledgeable, experienced and responsive representation. These attorneys regularly advise our clients regarding the numerous issues that arise on a day-to-day basis in the operation of a school district, including personnel matters, student discipline, special education, labor relations, construction projects, response to right-to-know law requests, and compliance with other laws and regulations governing public schools. Our school solicitors also attend all regular meetings, and special meetings when requested, of our school clients' boards of directors. In this role, they advise boards regarding compliance with Pennsylvania's Sunshine Act and other matters of board protocol.

Our school law group also employs a "team approach" in meeting the diverse needs of our solicitorship clients. The attorneys in our litigation group assist our solicitors in such matters as construction project disputes, personnel issues and tax assessment appeals. Our solicitors also collaborate with our real estate and litigation groups on matters involving real property, including boundary disputes, eminent domain proceedings, and conveyance of mineral rights.

Our school law, employment and litigation group attorneys also serve as special counsel to numerous public school districts, handling matters such as tax assessment appeals, employee investigations, and prosecution of student discipline matters.

Litigation

Peacock Keller is also proud to serve as defense counsel for the Pennsylvania School Boards Insurance Trust. In this role, attorneys within our school law, litigation and employment groups have defended public school districts throughout the Commonwealth in a wide variety of claims, including actions alleging unlawful discrimination or harassment, civil rights actions, and special education due process complaints. 

The depth of knowledge and experience available at Peacock Keller, both within our school law group and across numerous other departments, is our strongest asset to our school district clients.

Comprehensive School Law Representation

Peacock Keller's School Law department advises school districts throughout Western Pennsylvania on all legal matters relating to public education. Peacock Keller serves as solicitor for six school districts in Washington and Greene Counties and represents a number of other school districts on all educational related issues.

• Insurance defense claims
• Labor and employment issues
• Special education matters
• Student disciplinary matters