Laura E. Knittle

Partner

  • Office Contact Info
  • Biography

    Laura Knittle is a Partner in the Chicago office of GRSM.  She is a member of the Employment and Government Regulatory & Administrative Law practice groups. 

    Laura represents K-12 school districts in all areas of education law. A majority of her practice is dedicated to counseling boards of education and their administrations on student matters, including issues involving the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA), alleged violations of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, student discipline, student and employee investigations, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) investigations, and confidentiality and student records. She regularly represents school districts at mediation and in due process hearings.

    A former teacher, Laura leverages her background as an educator in every situation to help provide clients with simple, tailored solutions to meet their needs. 

    Laura’s experience further includes defending school districts in complaints before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR). She has also counseled school districts on issues involving the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and data privacy.

    Admissions

    • Illinois
    • District of Columbia
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
    • U.S. District Court for the Central and Northern Districts of Illinois

    Memberships

    • Chicago Bar Association
    • Young Lawyers Section
    • Education Law Committee, Former Chair
    • Legal Aid Chicago
    • Ambassadors Board

    Community Involvement

    • Teach for America, Auxiliary Board Member
       
  • Practice Areas
  • Publications & Presentations

    Presentations

    • Co-Presenter, "Legal Jeopardy," Illinois Association of School Personnel Administrators Annual Conference, Lisle, Illinois, January 27, 2023
    • Co-Presenter, "Curriculum Opt-Outs: Parents' Rights and Public School Curriculum," Illinois Council of School Attorneys (ICSA) 36th Annual Seminar on School Law, Chicago, Illinois, November 18, 2022
    • Co-Moderator, "Navigating the Stop W.O.K.E. and Don't Say Gay Acts,” Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Chicago, Illinois, Virtual, October 28, 2022
    • Co-Presenter, "Legal Updates for the 2022-2023 School Year," Northeastern Illinois Association of School Business Officials, Vernon Hills, Illinois, September 2, 2022
    • Panelist, "Cyber Risk Insurance: How to Ensure Your School is Protected," The 6th Annual EdTech Conference for Independent Schools, Connect by Veracross Virtual Conference, June 23, 2022
    • Co-Presenter, "A Workflow for Conducting Employee Investigations," 2022 Illinois Association of School Business Officials Annual Conference, Schaumburg, Illinois, May 4, 2022
    • "LGBTQIA+ Youth and Bullying: Understanding Issues and Addressing Solutions," Lake County Regional Office of Education, Virtual Event, April 21, 2022
    • Co-Presenter, "Labor and Employment During the Teacher Shortage," Illinois Association of School Administrators, Legal Workshop, April 4, 2022
    • Co-Presenter, "Cyber and Privacy Law for School Districts: An Overview of the Legal Issues and Risks," Webinar, February 17, 2022
    • Co-Presenter, "Legal Hot Topics," Illinois Association of School Personnel Administrators (IASPA) Fifteenth Annual Conference, Lisle, Illinois, January 21, 2022
    • Co-Presenter, "Supporting LGBTQ+ Employees," Illinois Association of School Personnel Administrators (IASPA) Fifteenth Annual Conference, Lisle, Illinois, January 21, 2022
    • Co-Presenter, "A Practical Guide to Navigating the Open Meetings Act," Illinois Association of School Administrators Legal Workshops, Virtual Event, December 9, 2021
    • "Supporting SEL: Legal Implications and Best Practice Considerations," Virtual Seminar, IAASE Fall Conference, October 21-22, 2021
    • Co-Moderator, "LGBTQ+ Youth and Bullying: Understanding Issues and Addressing Solutions," National Stop Bullying Day Event, Webinar, October 13, 2021
    • "From the Police Department to the School: Defining the Role of SROs," ESIC Risk Management Conference, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, July 2021
    • "What You'll Be Glad You Did: Tips for Surviving a Due Process Hearing," IAASE 20th Annual Winter Conference, Springfield, Illinois, February 2019
    • "Dealing with Sexual Harassment in School Districts," IASPA 12th Annual Conference, Lombard, Illinois, January 2019
    • "Meeting the Needs of Students with Autism Through Compliant IEPs," LRP Publications, National Webinar, December 2018
    • "Disturbing the Peace: Handling Community Dissent in Public Schools," National School Boards Association Annual Conference, Boston, Massachusetts, April 2016

    Presentations

    • Interview, "Considering Mask Fights, States May Hold Off on Making COVID-19 Vaccine Required School Immunization," ABA Journal, October 21, 2021
    • "Illinois Votes for Change: So What Kind of Changes Can We Expect?," The Illinois Public Employee Relations Report, Winter 2015
       
  • Education

    Education

    J.D., Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 2013

    B.A., magna cum laude, The University of Georgia, 2008

    Honors 

    Recognized on the Rising Stars list by Illinois Super Lawyers magazine (2021 – 2023)
     

  • Languages
    • French
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