Legal Services

The IEA-NEA Unified Legal Services Program is coordinated by the IEA-NEA General Counsel. Assistance is provided to members with employment-related legal problems and to local associations having legal disputes with their school boards. Workshops on members’ employment rights are conducted on a regional level and daily advice is provided on a wide range of legal concerns. The status of each member’s legal case is maintained on a computer which permits instantaneous information retrieval. Your UniServ Director should be initially consulted for case evaluation and primary assistance.

The IEA-NEA provides attorneys to represent our local affiliates and school employees in cases before the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board and other administrative agencies, courts, and in some arbitration proceedings. These individuals provide expert technical advice to IEA-NEA staff and leaders in analyzing fact situations to determine whether there is a potential case, and then provide representation as the case proceeds. This includes the formal filing of cases, oral arguments, preparation of briefs and analysis of decisions.

The staff also informs local leaders of changes in precedent through various trainings and communiqués.

Staff

General Counsel
Mitchell Roth

Administrative Assistant
Ann Holmes

Deputy General Counsel
Paul Klenck (Chicago)

Administrative Assistant
Jackie Thomas (Chicago)

Associate General Counsel
Gene Holt
Ron Stradt
Felicitas Berlanga (Chicago)
Betsy Pawlicki (Chicago)
Rob Lyons (Chicago)
Rachel Clark (Chicago)
Wanda Van Pelt (Edwardsville)

Legal Assistant
Kim Trader

Paralegal
Catherine Wyzykowski (Chicago)
Lisa Daykin

Legal Services Associate Staff
Laura Wilkinson
Sarah O’Shea
Lydia Molina (Chicago)
Liz Moreno (Chicago)
Mary Karczewski – (Chicago)
Hasmig Nielsen (Chicago)
Ranae Hill (Edwardsville)