Heidi A. Katz

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312.332.7760 (tel.)
312.332.7768 (fax)
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Heidi Katz provides legal representation to public school districts, community colleges, public libraries and other local governmental entities.  Areas of specialty include policy development, students’ rights and responsibilities, student discipline, finance, real estate, boundary changes, civil rights and intergovernmental agreements.

Heidi is a past president of the Illinois Council of School Attorneys.  She has prepared a series of amicus briefs on behalf of the Illinois Association of School Boards for appeals of court decisions on matters of critical concerns to school districts, in cases including Nuxoll v. Indian Prairie School District No. 204, 523 F.3d 668 (7th Cir. 2008) (the “Be Happy, Not Gay” T-shirt litigation), and Chicago Tribune  v. Chicago Board of Education, 332 Ill.App.3d 60 (1st Dist.), leave to appeal denied 201 Ill.2d 562 (2002), in which the appellate court held educational records sought for an investigation into student absenteeism to be exempt from inspection and copying under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.  She also prepared the IASB / IASBO amicus brief which the Illinois Supreme Court cited for its rationale in In re County Collector of DuPage County, 187 Ill.2d 326 (1999), holding that there is no correlation under The School Code between school districts’ budgets and levies adopted in the same calendar year.

Heidi has spoken at the National Council of School Attorneys’ annual School Law Practice Seminar on issues relating to student First Amendment rights, and has served as co-author and editor of the “Student Rights and Responsibilities” chapter for three editions of the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education’s School Law treatise (1999, 2005 and 2010).  She has conducted numerous Administrators’ Academies on school Internet liability issues and workshops on Illinois' Freedom of Information and Open Meetings Acts and other topics of concern to local governmental entities.

Heidi served as a law clerk to the late Judge Thomas R. McMillen, United States District Judge, Northern District of Illinois.  Her pre-law career included newspaper and radio for the Naperville Sun and WDVH Radio in Gainesville, Florida.

Awards

• Illinois Leading Lawyer, Education and School Law, 2004-2010
• Illinois Super Lawyers, 2005-2012

Recent Publications

• "School District Website Postings: What is Now Required and What Lies Ahead," UPDATE Magazine (IASBO, 2011)
• Chapter editor / Contributing author, “Student Rights and Responsibilities,” ILLINOIS SCHOOL LAW (IICLE 1999, 2005 and 2010)
• Can the ‘Heckler’s Veto’ Trump Tinker-Protected Student Speech?, National Council of School Attorneys’ Inquiry & Analysis Newsletter (February 2006)

Recent Presentations

• School District Website Postings: What's Required? What Lies Ahead? IASBO Conference, St. Charles, IL (May 2011)
• School ‘Forums’ for Student Clubs: Complying with the Federal Equal Access Act, Annual Conference of Illinois Directors of Student Activities, St. Charles, IL (November 2010)   
• Of Climbing Walls and Camp Outs: Liability Waivers for Student Activities, Annual Conference of Illinois Directors of Student Activities, St. Charles, IL (November 2010)   
• Economic  Temptations/Ethical Danger Zones: Spotting and Avoiding Attorney Conflicts of Interest, Illinois Council of School Attorneys Annual Seminar on School Law, Chicago, IL (November 2010)

• Legal Issues in Clinical Education, for Metro Chicago Healthcare Council at Grayslake, Oak Park, IL (January and August 2010)
• Appellate Court Ruling on the Use of Working Cash Fund and Other Hot Topics in Illinois School Finance, IASBO Conference, St. Charles, IL (May 2010)
• The New Frontier: Advising School Clients on Compliance with the Amended Illinois Freedom of Information Act, Illinois Council of School Attorneys Annual Seminar on School Law, Chicago, IL (November 2009)
• Guidelines for Law Enforcement Interviews of Students at School, IASB/IASA/IASBO 2008 Joint Annual Conference, Chicago, IL (panel member – November 2008)
• The Ongoing Struggle: Balancing Students’ Education Rights v. Students’ Safety, Illinois State Bar Association Education Law Section, Hoffman Estates, IL (panel member – February 2008)
• Internet Liability and Computer Acceptable Use Policies for Schools, Illinois Technology Conference for Education, St. Charles, IL (February 2008)
• Risk Management Programs: Illinois Appellate Court Tightens The Tort Levy Purse Strings, Illinois Association of Park Districts 2007 Legal Symposium, Oak Brook, IL (November 2007)
• “Bong Hits 4 Jesus” Inquiry Into Student Speech Issues, IASB/IASA/IASBO 2007 Joint Annual Conference, Chicago, IL (November 2007)
• Internet Liability Issues for Schools, presented at numerous Regional Office of Education centers for Administrators’ Academy credit (2007-09)
• Can the “Heckler’s Veto” Trump Tinker-Protected Student Speech?, National Council of School Attorneys 2006 School Law Advocacy Seminar, Kansas City, MO (October 2006)