Tueth Keeney is proud of its commitment to advising and educating school administrators on the complex and ever-changing legal issues facing public schools. Merry C. Rhoades, Tueth Keeney shareholder, was recently selected to be a featured presenter at the 2009 Joint Annual Conference, to be held on November 20-22, 2009 in Chicago. The Joint Annual Conference of the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB), Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA), and Illinois Association of School Business Officials (IASBO) is three-day event open to school board members, superintendents, school administrators, state and regional educators and officials, university staff, exhibitors, and guests. The conference draws more than 12,000 Illinois school leaders annually.

Merry will be speaking on Saturday, November 21st on the new legislation regarding the Freedom of Information Act. For more information on specific conference events, including panel topics, times and locations, workshops, speakers, and more, please visit the IASB website by clicking 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, Cooper, Mohan & Jackstadt P.C. 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.