Current Issues in School Law 2026

  • OnDemand seminar
  • Education Law
Up to 4.0 Credit Hours
View schedule and faculty
Current Issues in School Law 2026

Endorsed by the Children and the Law Section of the State Bar of Wisconsin

Making the grade

What rights do students with disabilities hold when a school suggests a “part-time” schedule? How do you defend a student in an expulsion hearing when safety concerns are on the table? Which parent has legal authority to make educational decisions during a divorce? Schools operate under a unique web of federal mandates and state oversight that can catch even the most seasoned practitioner off guard.

Whether you advise families, schools, or encounter education-related questions as part of a broader case, Current Issues in School Law gives you a practical grounding in the concepts and law most likely to apply.

8:30 am
Education Law Basics
  • Truancy – students with and without disabilities
  • Title VI and Title IX – discrimination, harassment and bullying
  • §504 of the Rehabilitation Act
  • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
  • Interface with other areas of law – family law and Chapter 48
  • Snapshot of a Special Education Case
9:20 am
Education for Children with Disabilities
  • Walk through a typical special education case
  • Child Find – duty to initiate the evaluation process
  • Determining eligibility for §504 and IDEA
  • Placement in the least restrictive educational setting
  • Special education advocacy techniques
  • Due process hearings and alternative dispute resolution
  • Available remedies under IDEA
10:20 am
Break
10:35 am
Issues arising after IDEA Eligibility is Established
  • Restraint and seclusion
  • Students placed on part-time schedules because of behavior
  • School discipline and students with disabilities
  • How to defend a school expulsion case
  • Divorced or separated parents – who decides?
Victoria Davis Dávila
Davis & Pledl, S.C. · Milwaukee
Robert (Rock) T. Pledl
Davis & Pledl, S.C. · Milwaukee
Ally Seneczko
Meinen Law, LLC · Milwaukee

  • Recognize when student discipline, truancy, bullying, harassment, or discrimination issues raise distinct legal obligations for schools
  • Understand how Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) may apply and how those laws affect the options available to students and families
  • Counsel clients more effectively when school placement, services, or discipline issues arise
  • Gain a practical understanding of how special education cases develop, where disputes tend to arise, and which legal standards apply
  • Evaluate school-related disputes with a stronger grasp of due process, available remedies, and advocacy options
  • Determine how education law overlaps with family court orders and placement
  • School lawyers
  • Civil rights lawyers
  • Children’s court and juvenile court lawyers
  • Disability rights lawyers
  • Government and municipal lawyers
  • Family lawyers
  • Guardians ad litem for minors
  • Guardianship lawyers

Book Bonus!

Recognizing and Serving Clients with Mental Health Concerns: A Wisconsin Guide
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*Discount applies to both print and digital Books Unbound editions of this title and cannot be applied to previous purchases. Offer valid through 12/31/27. For Books Unbound users, discount may be applied to purchase of individual Books Unbound title only and may not be used on the purchase of libraries. Discount cannot be combined with any other offers.

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