The School and Education Law attorneys at CCHA Law are proud to work with many schools and school boards throughout Indiana and across the country. Serving over 50 schools and boards, our team has the experience to assist with any legal matter associated with school and education law.

“We have been advocates for Indiana schools for over 50 years,” said Jessica Billingsley, partner at CCHA Law within the School Law practice group. “We are proud of what we have built: a broad-based general practice law firm with the most comprehensive educational law practice in the state. We openly embrace and promote that we are “school lawyers” and consider our school law practice group to be a centerpiece of our firm and our culture. We consider our school clients to be part of our team. A cornerstone of our relationship with all our school clients is our commitment to providing practical legal advice balanced against potential risks.”

Meet the Team

Jessica Billingsley

Jesse practices as a partner in the Noblesville office. Jesse’s primary practice areas are employment law and education law. As part of the CCHA school law team, she helps schools around the state with the ever-evolving legal landscapes of law, policy, and practical matters. She enjoys the variety of issues that always seem to pop up in the world of education.

Chandler Lawson Flynn

Chandler came to CCHA from a boutique education law firm in Chattanooga, Tennessee where she provided high quality, personal, and focused legal representation and consultation to the firm’s clients. She concentrates her practice in the firm’s School and Education law group. As an enthusiastic, assertive, and service-minded individual, Chandler has a proven record of generating and building relationships, managing projects from inception to disposition, demonstrating exceptional communication skills, and making critical decisions that best serve her clients.

Andrew Manna

Andrew is a partner in CCHA Law’s School Law practice group. He represents clients in matters associated with labor and employment law, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and other matters. He engages in the defense of school corporations against claims under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), First Amendment, and other constitutional and civil rights law matters. He also represents schools with respect to general school policy review. At a national level, Andrew is Chair-Elect of the National School Attorneys Association.

Elizabeth Lucas Barnes

Betsy focuses her practice on a variety of education and employment matters. As part of her representation of schools, her practice includes litigating matters before state and federal courts as well as administrative agencies. Those matters include EEOC related matters, OCR complaints, special education related matters, and employment discrimination litigation. Betsy also provides consultation on day to day matters to her clients on matters such as restraint and seclusion, student discipline, employee discipline, and requests for sick and FMLA leave.

Caroline Crouch

Caroline is an associate in the firm’s School and Education Law Practice Group. She advises school districts around the state on matters regarding law and policy, including constitutional and civil rights allegations and special education issues under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Liberty Roberts

Libby represents businesses and public entities at all levels of administrative proceedings and litigation. Her clients include school districts, colleges and universities, counties, cities, towns, and police and fire departments. She has represented clients in nearly all of Indiana's 92 counties, working directly with schools, colleges and universities, municipalities, and businesses, and also works with insurance carriers and claims administrators to serve as insurance defense counsel.

Amy Matthews

Prior to joining CCHA, Amy was General Counsel for the Indiana Education Employment Relations Board (IEERB), where she spent much of her time successfully mediating unfair labor practice complaints and implementing the 2011 revisions to the teacher bargaining statute, Indiana Code 20-29. At CCHA, Amy is a partner in the Education Law Group. She represents schools and other educational entities in various matters such as bargaining/labor relations, human resources, policy analysis, fiscal management, and special education.

Jon A. Becker

Jon represents clients in matters associated with construction projects, retirement, health, and other employee benefit plans, labor and employment law, compliance and regulatory affairs, homeowners associations, nonprofit organizations, tax matters, government bonds, and other business organizations. He consults in areas such as ERISA, PPACA, HIPAA, human resources, and nonprofit and exempt organizations.

Alexander Pinegar

Alexander P. Pinegar is a partner in the firm’s Litigation, School Law, and Appellate sections. Alex’s clients include businesses, individuals, and public school corporations. As part of his litigation practice, Alex has first-chair trial experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in both Indiana’s state and federal courts. Alex serves as general counsel for Sheridan Community Schools and assists with the firm’s general counsel representation of numerous public school corporations throughout Indiana.

Julia Church Kozicki

As a partner at CCHA Law, Julia focuses her practice on supporting businesses and schools. She is a Noblesville native, a Jeopardy! champion, and a graduate of Noblesville High School, Indiana University, and Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Julia was elected to the Noblesville Schools Board of School Trustees in May 2006 and re-elected in May 2010 and November 2014, with her 12 1/2 years the second longest tenure in board history. She was named one of 25 Noble Millers for the Noblesville Schools 150th Anniversary, served as the Region 5 director for the Indiana School Board Association, and served on the board of the Noblesville Schools Education Foundation.

Kevin Vanderground

Kevin joined Church Church Hittle + Antrim in July 2014 and is now a partner in the firm’s Education Law, Business Law, Real Estate, and Mediation Law practice groups. He began his professional career as a high school economics teacher and basketball coach before attending law school at Valparaiso University School of Law. Kevin has had the distinction of being named a Rising Star by Super Lawyers magazine (2014 through 2017) and an Up and Coming Lawyer by Indiana Lawyer Magazine (2008).

Brent R. Borg

Brent’s practice consists primarily of advising and defending school corporations, colleges and universities, and small businesses on a wide variety of labor and employment issues ranging from fair employment practices to wage and hour compliance. Brent also provides trial- and appellate-level litigation services for school corporations, colleges and universities, small businesses, and individuals.

Amy Fox

Amy devotes a significant portion of her practice to assisting schools, colleges and universities navigate an increasingly complex legal environment in order to promote their institutional goals, while ensuring compliance and mitigating exposure. Amy advises on a variety of legal matters including student disability issues, employment matters and labor negotiations, public access laws, FERPA and other records requirements, policy review, Title IX and other civil rights laws, and student discipline.In addition to providing training and day-to-day client counseling, Amy defends educational institutions and employers in federal and state court proceedings and before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), and other administrative agencies.

Shyann R. Boyer

Shyann practices as an associate attorney in the Noblesville office with her primary practice area in education law. As part of the firm’s School Law team, she advises school districts around the state on matters regarding law and policy, including constitutional and civil rights allegations and special education issues under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

David Day

David's legal practice focuses primarily on work for Indiana school districts as well as providing guidance and counsel to individuals and families.His representation of Indiana public school districts is primarily as general counsel, providing advice on all areas of school practice including governance, finance, employment and student issues. He and CCHA are attorneys of record for a large number of Indiana schools, including Carmel Clay Schools, Hamilton Southeastern Schools, MSD Warren Township and Muncie Community Schools. A long-time member of the National School Boards Association’s Council of School Attorneys, David served on its Board of Directors from 1990 -1994.

David’s experience includes involvement in the landmark Indianapolis school desegregation case and the Ryan White case. Recently David assisted Hamilton Southeastern Schools in the construction of several new facilities and has advised school corporations regarding referendum campaigns. He has been a frequent speaker on education law topics at the national and state level and is one of the most well-known and well-respected school law attorneys in Indiana.

Prepared to Help You Handle Any School Law Challenge

The team at CCHA Law is here to help with any and all school law matters. Given the fact that schools are held under such close scrutiny, it is imperative that they adhere to state and federal laws. Our firm specializes in ensuring that school districts comply with all relevant rules and regulations.

Along with this scrutiny often comes the need to defend the decisions made by school boards and administrators working in the scope of their employment. That is why it is so important to hire an experienced school law firm who is knowledgeable and capable. At CCHA, we are involved in daily school corporation decisions that impact a wide range of legal issues.

Contact a K-12 School and Education Law attorney at any of our office locations throughout Indiana.

K-12 School and Education Law Resources

Here are a few resources you may find helpful in your school law matters.

• Can a School Delete Facebook Comments on Their Page?

• Recent Changes to Indiana Teacher Collective Bargaining

• How the U.S. Supreme Court May have Changed Service Animals in Schools

• How Does DACA Affect Schools?

• Trademarks for Schools

• What Are a Non-Custodial Parent’s Rights to Their Child at School?

Contact the School Law Attorneys at CCHA Law

We’re here to help. If you need assistance, contact CCHA Law today, for expertise you can rely on.