Amy Kosanovich Dickerson

Amy represents educational institutions, including public school districts, charter schools, private schools and higher education institutions, in a variety of general education law matters.  Amy counsels clients in the areas of special education, student rights, student discipline, school board policy and governance, and employment and personnel matters.  Amy represents public school districts in individual educational program (IEP) meetings, due process matters, and residency and discipline hearings.  She also represents clients in state and federal court litigation and before the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.

Prior to joining the firm, Amy served as the law clerk for the Honorable Morton Denlow, U.S. Magistrate Judge, Northern District of Illinois.  During law school, Amy was a Child Law Fellow with the Civitas ChildLaw Center, the executive editor of student articles for the school’s Law Journal and senior editor of the Children’s Legal Rights Journal.  Amy received awards for Leadership, Service and Pro Bono Recognition while at Loyola, and awards for highest grade in Constitutional Law, Legal Writing, and Family Law.  Prior to attending law school, Amy taught fifth and sixth grades in the District of Columbia Public School System as a Teach for America Corps Member.

Amy is an active member of the Illinois Council of School Law Attorneys and the National Council of School Law Attorneys.  She is also a member of the American, Illinois State and Chicago Bar Associations. She also served as part-time faculty at Loyola as a legal writing professor.

Amy was quoted by SpecialEd Connection, a widely recognized resource for the education industry, on the guidelines under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the ADA Amendments Act. Additionally, she was quoted in the May 2010 issue of Section 504 Compliance Advisor. She authored “One Family in Two Courts: Coordination in Illinois’ Juvenile and Domestic Relations Courts,” 37 Loy. U. Chi. L.J. 571-615 (2006), “The Social Impact of Schools on Adolescent Mental Health” (B.A. Thesis), and co-authored “Child Welfare Consent Decrees: Analysis of Thirty-Five Court Actions from 1995-2005.”

 Amy is a frequent runner and enjoys participating in Chicago’s various races to benefit children and youth organizations.  She also stays busy keeping up with her twin daughters.

News

• Addressing Disability Harassment

Publications

• Proposed Amendments to ISBE Student Records Regulations
• DCFS: College and University Staff Must Report Suspected Child Abuse
• Principals Found Immune from Liability for Restricting Student Religious Speech
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Events

• Parental Rights & Issues
• Back to School Webinar Series Part II: The Challenges of Student Fees & Waivers
• Back to School Webinar Series Part I: The Challenges of Student Residency
• ABC's of IEP's: Tips for Effective IEP Meetings
• Thinking About A Career in the Law
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