At the end of 2016, the Illinois appellate court reversed and remanded a PTAB decision that excluded one party’s evidence because the appraiser who authored the appraisal died prior to the hearing. The case at issue, 1411 North State Condominium v. […]
Author: Franczek
Federal Court Strikes Down Lincolnshire’s “Right to Work” Ordinance
Last week, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois held that the Village of Lincolnshire’s municipal ordinance regulating union activities was invalid under federal law. The ruling is a defeat for Governor Bruce Rauner in his efforts to work […]
New Guidance Issued by the Department of Education on the Rights of Students with Disabilities
At the end of last month, the Department of Education released three new sets of guidance on the federal civil rights laws that govern students with disabilities. All three offer valuable information about current and evolving issues regarding disability accommodation. […]
Matter of Dhanasar: A New Standard for National Interest Waivers in the United States
On December 27, 2016, the AAO issued a decision that modifies the standards for granting a National Interest Waiver (NIW) in Matter of Dhanasar. This decision will impact thousands of applicants seeking U.S. permanent residency based solely upon the importance of […]
U.S. Supreme Court to Consider ERISA Church Plan Exemption
In a decision that may have profound consequences for the funding and continued operation of defined benefit retirement plans covering employees at religiously affiliated organizations, the U.S. Supreme Court has decided to hear consolidated appeals from the Third, Seventh and Ninth Circuits to determine the […]
OCR Complaints – Trends and Predictions
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recently issued two reports highlighting its work during both fiscal year (FY) 2016 and President Obama’s entire eight-year term of office. The number of OCR complaints filed during FY 2016 […]
Supporting Undocumented Students in High School and College
In the wake of the presidential election, we have experienced a noticeable increase in the number of inquiries from both our K-12 and higher education clients concerning the unique and complex issues facing undocumented youth and their families. School personnel […]
Appellate Court Determines that Student Handbook is not a Contract
In Mulvey v. Carl Sandburg High School et al., a family sued its school district and various district officials and coaches alleging breach of contract for the District’s alleged failure to enforce the anti-bullying policies in its student handbook. The parents, on […]