Suite 3400
Chicago IL 60606
TEL: 312.786.6179
FAX: 312.986.9192
Practice Areas
- Labor & Employment
- Counseling & Compliance
- Employment Litigation
- Union-Related Matters
- Education Law
- Higher Education
- K-12 Education
Education
- J.D., with honors, Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, 2003
- B.A., cum laude, University of Notre Dame, 2000 (finance and business economics)
Bar & Court Admissions
- Illinois
- U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois
Colleen F. O'Keefe
Colleen represents educational institutions, including public school districts, in a variety of general education law matters. She counsels clients in the areas of employment and personnel matters, special education law, student rights, student discipline, and school board policy and governance. Colleen represents public school districts in IEP meetings, due process hearings, student discipline and residency hearings, and state and federal court litigation. She also advises clients in traditional labor matters, including grievance and interest arbitrations, contract interpretation, collective bargaining and unfair labor practice procedures.
Prior to joining the firm, Colleen practiced as an Administrative Law Judge for the Illinois Labor Relations Board and the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board. In that capacity, she presided over unfair labor practice and representation proceedings, issued recommended decisions and orders, and advised the Board on pending litigation. While in law school, she served as a senior editor on the Consumer Law Journal and received honors for legal writing. She also served as a judicial extern for U.S. District Court Judge Ronald A. Guzman.
She is an active member of the State and Local Government Bargaining and Employment Law Committee and a former young lawyer fellow of the American Bar Association’s Section of Labor and Employment Law. Colleen is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the Illinois Public Employer Labor Relations Association and the National School Boards Association.
Colleen wrote the article “Recent Changes to Special Education Law and the Impact on Collective Bargaining” which was published in the Winter 2009 edition of Illinois Public Employee Relations Report.
She enjoys cheering for her alma mater, the Notre Dame team, during the football season.Publications
- Seventh Circuit Rules in Favor of District in Case Filed by Special Education Support Teacher
- Illinois School Code is Amended Regarding Home and Hospital Instruction for Students
- Advance Illinois Issues Assessment of Illinois Schools
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