The Portal for Ohio School Law Research

Research Checklist and Quick Links to Authorities

It is your advantage as an attorney to identify the applicable rules for any legal issue as early as possible. This portal has been created to help you. The lists below can be used as “checklists” of authorities when addressing any issue. The authorities are listed in rough order (starting with nearest authority—at the school level—and moving to state and federal laws), with active links provided whenever possible.

A. Jump to Research Student Rights Issues

B. Jump to Research Special Education Issues

C. Jump to Research School Employment Issues

D. Jump to Do a Caselaw Search

E. Jump to Litigation and Court Rules

F. Jump to Legal Writing and Citation Guides

G. Jump to Legal Ethics

A. Student Rights Issues

• Student/Athletic Handbook 

• Board of Education Policies 

• College Code of Conduct or Code of Academic Misconduct 

• Enforceable Contracts (e.g. private school attendance contract, IEP, etc.)

• Ohio Administrative Code (Ohio Regulations) 

  • k12 Regulations INDEX (OAC Chapter 3301)

  • k12 Operating Standards (OAC 3301-35)

  • Ed Choice Scholarship (OAC 3301-11)

  • Private or “Nonpublic” Schools (OAC 3301-39)

  • Community Schools or Charter Schools (OAC 3301-102)

  • Career-Technical Schools (OAC 3301-61-02)

  • Homeschooling (OAC 3301-34)

  • Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Bylaws

• Ohio Revised Code (Ohio Statutes)

  • Title 33 - Education BROAD INDEX (RC Title 33)

  • k12 Boards of Education INDEX (RC Chapter 3313)

    • Regular Meetings of the BOE (RC 3313.15)

    • Special Meetings of the BOE (RC 3313.16)

      • Compulsory Attendance (RC 3313.64)

      • Suspension/Expulsion Procedures (RC 3313.66)

  • k12 Laws Affecting Students INDEX (RC Chapter 3319)

    • Ohio Student Privacy Law (RC 3319.321)

    • Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (RC 3319.46)

    • State Sovereign Immunity (RC 2744.01 et cet.)

  • HS Career Tech Schools (RC 3313.90)

  • Community or “Charter” Schools INDEX (Chapter 3314)

  • eSchools, aka Virtual Schools or Computer-Based Schools (RC 3314.21)

  • Career Colleges and Schools INDEX (Chapter 3332)

  • State Universities - General Powers; INDEX (Chapter 3345)

• Ohio Constitution 

• Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 

  • Family Education Rights Privacy Act FERPA - INDEX (34 CFR Part 99)

  • Title VI Regulations (race, color, national origin discrimination; 28 C.F.R. § 42.101 et seq.)

  • Title IX Regulations (34 CFR Part 106)

• Federal Statutes (United States Code)

  • Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (race, color, national origin discrimination; 42 USC 2000d)

  • Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 USC 2000e, et seq.)

  • Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. §791)

  • Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA; 42 U.S.C. § 12101)

  • Title IX of the Educational Amendments (sex discrimination; 20 U.S.C. §1681 et seq.)

U.S. Constitution 

B. Special Education Issues

• Research Sequence: It is helpful to have a sequence for researching special education issues. Start from the top down until you find a rule addressing your issue:

1. IDEA (Federal Statute): 20 U.S.C Section 1400, et seq. INDEX (primarily Part B)

2. IDEA (Regulations): 34 C.F.R. Section 300.00 et seq. INDEX (Subparts A-H) (Interpreting IDEA in greater detail)

3. Ohio Operating Standards for the Education of Students with Disabilities INDEX (OAC 3301-51)

   • Procedural Safeguards (OAC 3301-51-05)

   • Jon Peterson Scholarship (OAC 3301-101)

   • Autism Scholarship (OAC 3301-103)

4. USDOE Office of Special Education Programming (OSEP): Archived Policy Letters (Opinions issued by the office, indexed by year and topic, interpreting regulations. Note: Policy Letters are different from Policy Support Documents)

5. ERIC: Educational Resources Information Center (More research-oriented and for education broadly, but can be useful if you need help finding or applying a rule)

6. Google: (Some issues are discussed in online forums or on legal advocacy websites)

• Additional Special Education Resources:

  • ODE Complaint Findings and Due Process Decisions Database

  • ODE Dispute Resolution (Facilitation/Mediation/Complaint Procedures)

  • ADA and Section 504:

    • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act: 34 CFR Part 104

    • Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)

    • FAQ on Applicability of Section 504 and the ADA

  • Ohio Student Privacy Law (RC 3319.321)

  • Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (RC 3319.46)

C. School Employment Issues

• Employee Handbook 

• Board of Education Policies 

• Employment Contract

• Severance Agreement (Checklist for Reviewing Agreements)

• Collective Bargaining Agreements (Union Contracts; Searchable Database) 

• Code of Professional Responsibility (Educators) 

• Ohio Administrative Code (Ohio Regulations) 

  • Professional Conduct Standards for Educators; Hearing Procedures (OAC 3301-73)

• Ohio Revised Code (Ohio Statutes)

  • State Board of Education and Ohio Dept. of Education INDEX (RC 3301)

  • k12 School Employment Laws INDEX (RC Chapter 3319)

    • Administrator Contracts (RC 3319.02)

    • Employment of Teachers (RC 3319.07)

    • Teacher Contracts (RC 3319.08)

    • Continuing Contracts and Limited Contracts (RC 3319.11)

    • Teacher Termination (RC 3319.16)

    • Reduction in Force (RC 3319.17)

    • Educator Licensure Revocation/Suspension (RC 3319.31)

    • Educator Licensure Investigations (RC 3319.311)

    • ODE Administrative Hearing Procedure for Educators (R.C. Chapter 119)

    • State Sovereign Immunity (RC 2744.1 et cet.)

    • Disputing Info in Personnel Files for Public Employees (R.C. 1347.09)

• Ohio Constitution 

• Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 

  • Family Education Rights Privacy Act FERPA - INDEX (34 CFR Part 99)

  • Title VII Regulations (29 CFR XIV)

  • Title IX Regulations (34 CFR Part 106)

• Federal Statutes (United States Code)

  • Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 USC 2000e, et seq.)

  • Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. §791)

  • Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)

  • Title IX of the Educational Amendments (20 U.S.C. §1681 et seq.)

  • Age Discrimination in Employment Act (29 U.S.C. §621)

  • Equal Pay Act (29 U.S.C. § 206(d))

• Administrative Decisions

  • 3319.16 Hearing Officer Recommendations on Termination (via public records requests)

  • Hearing Office Licensure Recommendations to SBOE (via public records requests)

• U.S. Constitution 

D. Caselaw Search

• State and Federal Caselaw (Legal databases available via bar memberships and law libraries) 

  • Casemaker (Ohio State Bar Association)

  • Fastcase (Columbus Bar Association)

  • Westlaw (Ohio Supreme Court Law Library)

  • LexisNexis (Ohio Supreme Court Law Library)

  • Decisis Legal Research Database

    1. Quick Instructions to access Decisis

    2. Decisis: Click HERE to log into OSBA (for Access to Decisis)

  • Judy Records (Search all US Court Cases)

  • Court Listener (Seach all US Cases, from the Free Law Project)

E. Litigation and Court Rules

State and Local Court Rules:

• Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure

• Ohio Rules of Evidence

• Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Local Rules

• Franklin County Municipal Court Local Rules

Federal Court Rules:

• Federal Rules of Civil Procedure

  • SD Ohio Local Rules

  • ND Ohio Local Rules

• Federal Rules of Evidence

F. Legal Writing and Citation Guides

• Ohio Supreme Court Writing Manual and Citation Guide (very good!)

• Federal Court Citation Manual (Bluebook Guide)

• Legal Bluebook ( U: elizabeth@abdnour.com; PW: !frassish5! )

G. Legal Ethics

• Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct (for Attorneys)