EXPERIENCE

The law firm of Tueth Keeney Cooper Mohan & Jackstadt, P.C. (the "Firm"), has one of the largest and most successful education law groups in the country. The Firm regularly serves the legal counsel needs of approximately 150 school districts throughout Missouri. The Firm also has one of the largest school law practices in Central and Southern Illinois.

From some of the largest to the smallest school districts, school administrators and boards of education regularly consult with the Firm's experienced education attorneys on a wide range of school legal matters. Our education attorneys have broad experience in every important area of education law, including human resources, teacher termination and discipline, teacher tenure, student rights and responsibilities, special education, school finance, the No Child Left Behind Act, construction, architecture, real estate, contracting and leasing, open meetings and records, policy development, vocational education, elections, tort issues, insurance, and general educational issues.

The Firm's lawyers have litigated many important school law cases in recent years. Firm attorneys have won numerous jury trials and appeals on behalf of school districts in Missouri and Illinois federal and state courts.

In addition, for the past ten years, the Missouri United School Insurance Council (MUSIC), a self-insured pool of school districts, has retained the Firm to defend its over 350 Missouri school district members against litigation claims in state and federal courts throughout Missouri. In addition to its work on behalf of MUSIC, the Firm has been appointed by numerous private educational insurers, including many of the nation's most prominent and well-respected insurance companies, to represent Missouri and Illinois schools. The Firm is one of approximately twenty law firms in the entire nation that have been appointed to act as Select Counsel to represent higher education institutions insured by United Educators Insurance Risk Retention Group, Inc., the nation's largest insurer of colleges and universities. In this capacity, the Firm is integrally involved in handling some of the most challenging and cutting-edge education litigation in the nation. Because of its deep and wide-ranging expertise in the defense of claims against educational institutions, the Firm maintains one of the most active and prominent education litigation groups in the Midwest.

The Firm's recent addition of three well-respected, experienced Illinois school attorneys has resulted in a significant expansion of the Firm's Illinois education practice. The expansion of the Firm's Illinois practice has also enhanced the Firm's depth and expertise in collective bargaining and special education representation, as well as general counsel services for both K-12 and higher education institutions.

Firm attorneys include a former teacher, college instructors, board members and officers of the National Council of School Attorneys and the Missouri and Illinois Councils of School Attorneys. Many of our Firm's attorneys are from families of educators.

Election Laws

Our education attorneys are frequently called upon to assist school districts in the area of election law. Our representation in this area has included such diverse areas as obtaining court orders to add, delete, or modify ballots involving bond issues, tax levies, and school board elections. We are frequently called upon to advise concerning campaign laws, financial disclosure, and nepotism issues. We have successfully litigated election law and financial disclosure matters in state courts and before the Missouri Ethics Commission.

Real Estate

Because our school district clients include some of the fastest growing school districts in the country, we have substantial experience in assisting districts in the acquisition of building sites. Our representation routinely includes advice on construction, architect, contractor, and construction matters. We are quite experienced in advising and negotiating TIF issues on behalf of client districts. Finally, we have also assisted districts in the disposal of surplus real and personal property.