Education

The activities of educational organizations and of companies that provide educational services and products—public and private, k-12 and tertiary, for-profit and not-for-profit—are strictly governed by a complex web of federal, state and local statutes, regulations and guidance.  Organization leaders and management generally have a sophisticated grasp of the legal requirements that underpin their actions and employees are usually trained to have a basic understanding of how the law impacts on their work.  Often in-house counsel provides a guiding hand on legal issues. That means when an educational organization is looking for legal help, it needs a law firm whose lawyers not only have a deep understanding of education law but who are also equipped to develop and provide practical solutions to the very specific problems that face educational organizations.  And, when the organization is sued, outside counsel must handle the litigation with the sensitivity that its mission requires.

Hangley lawyers are equipped to do just that. Our lawyers’ experience dealing with federal and state statutes, regulations and agency guidance that impact on educational organizations gives us a unique perspective on the legal problems that concern educational organizations. 

The lawyers in our education law group are extraordinarily talented with a wealth of experience both inside and outside private practice.  The group includes two former Philadelphia City Solicitors, Mark Aronchick and Joe Dworetzky.  Mark Aronchick also served as Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association.  The group also includes Wendy Beetlestone, one of the foremost education law practitioners in Pennsylvania.  She has represented universities, private schools, public school districts, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the Department of Education.  As General Counsel of the School District of Philadelphia from 2002 through 2005 she provided legal advice, counsel and representation to the School District, including strategic legal and operational guidance on a day to day basis.  In that capacity, she guided a team of in-house lawyers handling student affairs, commercial litigation, torts, labor and employment, special education, government contracting, and transactional matters often developing strategy on individual matters or initiatives when creative global thinking was required to achieve district goals.

Apart from the legal work we perform on behalf of our education clients, many of our lawyers sit on the boards of public school districts, private schools, colleges and universities.  In addition, our lawyers have lectured on education law to undergraduate and graduate level university students as well as to the National Association of University Counsel.

Please read the sections listed above for more information on our education practice.