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 nearly a century. Our school district clients benefit from our experience and rich history of service within the field, and from our school law attorneys' daily immersion in the many facets of public school representation, including personnel and labor matters, collective bargaining, student discipline, special education, construction projects and bidding laws, Right-to-Know Law, Sunshine Act, Constitutional issues, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, school board meeting procedures, school security and safety, and more.

Leaders at the Forefront of School Law

Our school law attorneys are recognized by clients and colleagues alike for their decades of experience in providing knowledgeable representation. They are known as leaders in the field, serving in numerous leadership positions within the Pennsylvania School Board Solicitors Association. 

Public schools and fellow school law attorneys statewide regularly seek Peacock Keller’s expertise to provide experienced counsel, training, and lectures in areas including special education, personnel, and labor matters.

Value Added: School Law Leaders, Multi-Practice Teamwork

Peacock Keller provides our school district clients with the distinct advantage of representation by a respected group of school law leaders working alongside fellow attorneys within the firm who excel in their own respective areas of expertise. We recognize that the very term “school law” is continually evolving to encompass many diverse areas demanding capable legal representation in the dynamic and complex environment that defines twenty-first-century public education.

For this reason, our school law attorneys employ the “team approach” by collaborating with our other practice areas when required to best serve our school district clients’ needs. Our clients benefit from the assistance of our litigation group attorneys in matters such as construction project disputes, personnel issues, and tax assessment appeals. Collaboration with our real estate and litigation groups on matters including boundary disputes, eminent domain, and conveyance of mineral rights ensures that our school districts are well-represented in property issues.

In these areas and more, Peacock Keller attorneys counsel and advocate for our clients in order to empower them to meet the growing legal demands placed upon today’s public schools. 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.

Experienced, Accessible and Practical Guidance

Our school law attorneys are well-versed in helping our school boards navigate public meetings, executive sessions, and other needs. In addition, they work closely and regularly with the administrative teams responsible for carrying out a school’s day-to-day operations. We understand that, in today’s schools, life moves fast, and many issues cannot wait for a delayed response from legal counsel. We pride ourselves on our practice of responding promptly when an administrator’s time-sensitive call reaches our desk. We draw upon both our up-to-date knowledge of the law and our decades of real-world experience to deliver prompt, accurate, and practical advice to our clients. When additional research is needed, we act expediently and thoroughly to ensure that a sound legal opinion is provided.

We understand the pressures and rewards of operating a modern public school. We strive to make legal compliance as accessible and efficient as possible while maintaining the highest standards of liability avoidance for our clients. In this way, we work to minimize strain on district personnel and resources, and to maximize the amount of time and attention available for schools to focus on their reason for existence: providing excellent education and serving the needs of all students.

Litigation and Special Counsel Services

Peacock Keller is proud to serve as defense counsel for the Pennsylvania School Boards Insurance Trust, as well as for several other school district insurers. 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.

Public school districts also retain Peacock Keller directly as special counsel for matters including special education, employment, and labor issues, based upon our school law attorneys’ particular expertise in these intricate areas of the law.