Illinois: Education Lawyers

Education lawyers represent parents and their children in cases involving students' access to public school education, rights of special needs students under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), discrimination in education, and more. When you need help to make sure that your child receives an appropriate education, contacting an education law attorney near you is the first step.

Use the list of education law professionals that we've compiled to hire a local education law lawyer to help with the issues your child is facing at school.

What Can Special Education Lawyers Do?

Within the field of education law, there is a subset of special education attorneys who are primarily focused on fighting for special needs children and those with learning disabilities. These attorneys can:

• Build a case for your child's eligibility for an individualized education program (IEP).
• Guide you through the IEP meeting preparation process and potentially attend the IEP meeting with you.
• In some instances, attorneys may even participate in the IEP drafting process.
• Represent clients in due process hearings when disputes arise.

Education Lawyers Help With All Types Of Education Law Issues

In addition to offering legal advice about special education and general education law-related topics, education law attorneys answer detailed questions such as:

• What rules can school districts and school boards set regarding student safety and discipline?
• Are there different laws or regulations for how public schools and private schools in the United States can act toward students?
• Is there a difference in regulations that apply to higher education institutions compared to elementary schools, middle schools and high schools?
• Do public health issues (such as the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic) modify how schools can treat students? Do those issue change what options schools must offer, such as distance learning?
• How does Title IX protect against discrimination?
• Can an education lawyer help with civil rights issues?
• Can a lawyer attend a due process hearing?
• What options do I have if my child's right to free speech has been violated by a school or teacher?

In Illinois, a general estimate of the per-hour cost for a lawyer can range from about $130 to $400 per hour, depending on location, expertise and the complexity of the case in question.

In some cases, attorneys may opt to offer clients a flat-rate fee instead of a per-hour fee. This typically arises in criminal defense law as well as certain divorce court proceedings. A fee for a misdemeanor defense is usually far less than the flat fee for a felony defense. Representation on issues related to juvenile offenses and traffic offenses may cost you less than the representation on situations involving corporate law or bankruptcies.

Finally, certain lawyers, such as personal injury lawyers, typically offer clients representation based on contingency. If you win a settlement from such a case, such as slipping and falling at a business establishment and incurring a serious injury, your personal injury lawyer will retain a percentage of your total settlement, rather than charging you any per-hour or flat-rate fees.

If you cannot afford representation in a legal matter, legal aid may be an option to consider.

What Types of Cases Can an Illinois Lawyer Help With?

While an Illinois lawyer can take on cases of any sort, the most common criminal cases in Illinois involve simple assault or aggravated assault, sexual assault, violations of the Controlled Substances Act, burglary (business and residential), driving while under the influence (DUI) and severe violent crime such as homicide and armed robbery.

Illinois lawyers are also typically called upon to represent parties in marital disputes leading to divorce or separation, the custody battles common to such cases, and other civil proceedings.