Attorneys from Tueth Keeney often contribute their time and talents on a voluntary basis to educate and inform their colleagues. Merry Rhoades, along with co-authors Dr. Brad Colwell, Department Chair at the Southern Illinois University - Carbondale and Margaret Noe, Associate Chancellor for Access and Equal Opportunity at the University of Illinois-Springfield, wrote the featured cover article for the Illinois School Board Journal.

The legal article was featured on the cover of the January/February 2007 issue; under the title Issues of Faith: Balancing religion in public schools. The article discussed the ten most contentious religious issues that confront most school districts, and also debunked the misconception that school and religion must be absolutely separate. To review a copy of the article in its entirety, please click here.

Merry C. Rhoades focuses her practice on general counsel services with an emphasis on special education law and student-related issues, school district reorganization matters and tax and finance matters. Because of her more than 20 years experience in representing Illinois public school districts, she has key insights regarding the day-to-day operation of the school district. She has extensive experience in special education administrative hearings, civil rights litigation, state and federal court litigation at the trial and appellate levels, and state administrative hearings.

Merry is an active member of several school related organizations. She is a member of the Illinois Council of School Attorneys Executive Committee and currently serves as its 1st Vice Chairperson and she is a service member to the Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA). She serves as an Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) PRESS advisory committee member.  Merry has been asked to speak for such organizations as the Illinois Alliance of Administrators of Special Education (IAASE), the Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA), the Illinois Principal's Association (IPA) and the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) on numerous school related issues.

Tueth Keeney is proud to be one of the state's largest Illinois education law practices. The firm has one of the most experienced groups of attorneys in Central and Southern Illinois dedicated to serving public schools. We regularly represent nearly 150 public school districts, including many districts in Central and Southern Illinois. Our Firm is also regularly appointed by insurers of educational institutions to represent districts in complex or difficult cases involving school or civil rights laws.