Legal Matters and Education Law

by

John Dayton

• LAST REVIEWED: 29 July 2020
• LAST MODIFIED: 15 December 2011
• DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780199756810-0023

Introduction

Education law refers to the statutes, regulations, cases, and policies governing education and the resolution of disputes in educational institutions. These make up a vast body of laws regulating daily school operations and dispute resolution on issues from academic freedom to property tax challenges, student discipline to teacher contracts, and school lunch programs to tort liability. Schools are microcosms of the broader society, so nearly every legal issue in the broader society may also be found in schools. The citations included in this entry provide a useful overview of some of the most significant issues in education law and help the user to find further information on these and other issues of interest in education law.

General Overviews

Law changes very rapidly. Internet resources provide a very useful medium for finding the most up-to-date laws and general overviews. Among the more comprehensive online resources are the Cornell University Law School Legal Information Institute (LII) website which provides free legal resources on all areas of the law, including education law. Washburn School of Law’s WashLaw Legal Research on the Web provides even broader coverage including more international legal resources. Drummond Woodsum’s School Law Resources provides a free online pro bono service that focuses directly on education law issues but also includes helpful links to many other online resources. The National School Boards Association website is dedicated to public school law, and includes a collection of current legal news, cases, and commentary on education law issues. Mark Walsh’s The School Law Blog is less comprehensive than the other resources, but very current, including ongoing postings and commentary from educators and others interested in education law and policy.

• Cornell University Law School Legal Information Institute (LII).

  Public interest website dedicated to the premise that “everyone should be able to read and understand the laws that govern them, without cost.” Website includes extensive legal materials in a user-friendly format.

• National School Boards Association.

  A free online overview of school law news, issues, and resources including “Legal Clips,” a free weekly update on legal issues sent to subscribers by e-mail.

• School Law Resources.

  A pro bono website offered by a private law firm, Drummond Woodsum. The website includes a useful list of essential links.

• Walsh, Mark. The School Law Blog.

  A frequently updated blog from Education Week that covers current issues in education law, provides useful commentary, and invites readers to comment on current school law issues.

• WashLaw Legal Research on the Web.

  A free service of the Washburn School of Law, providing links to international and US federal and state sources of law.