Law Alerts

Robbins Schwartz has pioneered defining the practice of education law as a singular discipline. As we continue to expand our services, we stay involved in the ongoing development and evolution of the law.

Law Alerts

Correction to 2013 Consolidated Election Calendar

The 2013 Consolidated Election Calendar incorrectly identified Thursday, February 7, 2013 as the last day for local election officials to certify to the election authority all public questions to be…

Illinois Supreme Court Rejects Latest Challenge to the Illinois Public School Funding System

In February 2012, we issued a Law Alert regarding the Illinois Supreme Court’s decision to hear an appeal in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state’s education funding system. On November…

Public Act 97-1134 Relieves Local Government Clerks and School and College Board Secretaries of Election Duties on Christmas Eve

On December 3, 2012, Governor Quinn signed into law Public Act 97-1134, amending Section 1-4 of the Illinois Election Code to provide much sought-after relief to school and college board…

Compliance Reminder: Training Requirements for FOIA Officers, OMA Designees, and Elected Officials

The Open Meetings Act (OMA) and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) mandate training for FOIA Officers, OMA Designees, and elected/appointed officials. With a new year on the horizon, the various training requirements are…

New Law Furthers Religious Accommodations for College Students

Since January 1, 1996, Illinois’ University Religious Observances Act (the “Act”) has required public institutions of higher education to have a policy which reasonably accommodates individual students’ religious observances in…

The Illinois Supreme Court Holds That Students, Alleging That Pedophile Teacher’s Former School District Provided False Information to Students’ District, Can Proceed with Lawsuit

The Illinois Supreme Court this week held that Urbana School District students could pursue their lawsuit against the McLean County School District for providing Urbana with false information about the…

Public Act 97-0875: Illinois’ New “Facebook” Law

On August 1, 2012, Governor Quinn signed into law an amendment to the Illinois Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act (“Workplace Privacy Act”) which prohibits employers from “requesting or requiring any…

Agendas for Public Meetings: “Just One More Thing”… or Two

Illinois’ oft-amended Open Meeting Act (OMA) has been amended again, this time to mandate more specific content for meeting agendas, and that they be made “continuously available for public review”…

Amendment to the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act Makes College Employees and Coaches “Mandated Reporters”

On June 27, 2012, Governor Pat Quinn has signed an amendment to Illinois Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, Public Act 97-0711, to require “personnel of institutions of higher education”…
School Construction

MBE and FBE Goals Applicable to School Construction Projects

On February 16, 2012, Governor Quinn announced that Illinois school districts statewide will receive more than $623 million for school construction. Under Public Act 96-1064, which became effective July 16,…