Sligo Law Group, PLLC

05/05/2026

On April 30, Sligo Law Group, the Chicago Lawyers'​ Committee for Civil Rights, and Eimer Stahl LLP filed a motion for a preliminary injunction as part of an ongoing federal lawsuit on behalf of ACT Now Illinois and Metropolitan Family Services.

The suit, filed on December 29, 2025, in the Northern District of Illinois, challenges the U.S. Department of Education's discontinuation of two Full-Service Community Schools grants totaling $18.5 million: funding that supports after-school care, tutoring, STEM programs, food assistance, and health services for nearly 19,000 high-need students and their families across 32 Illinois schools.

The Department discontinued a total of 19 Full-Service Community School grants in late 2025, citing DEI-related language in the original applications. No performance concerns were ever raised.

A temporary agreement has kept ACT Now's programs running, but funding expires June 30. Without a preliminary injunction, ACT Now will be forced to end all operations, terminate staff, and dissolve contracts with partner schools before summer ends.

Read more:

On April 30, Sligo Law Group, the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, and Eimer Stahl LLP filed a motion for preliminary injunction in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois as the next step in an ongoing federal lawsuit on behalf of Afterschool for Children and Tee

05/04/2026

Proud to be co-counsel in this important case alongside Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Eimer Stahl LLP.

03/09/2026

⏰ Early-bird pricing extended through March 24 — save 20% when you register now.

On April 21, Sligo Law Group is hosting a 90-minute deep-dive webinar: Student Privacy in Practice: FERPA, PPRA, and Emerging Enforcement Risks.

Student privacy law isn't standing still. AI tools in classrooms, parent complaint trends, vendor data sharing, and shifting enforcement priorities are creating new compliance pressure points for schools, districts, and state agencies. This session goes beyond the basics to real-world decision points and practical guidance you can apply immediately.

✅ FERPA & PPRA fundamentals + current enforcement trends ✅ AI and student data: what schools need to know now ✅ Handling parent requests, surveys, and third-party vendors ✅ 1.5 CPE credits for full live attendance

📅 April 21, 2026 | 1:00–2:30 p.m. ET | Live Virtual

Register before March 24 and pay $199 instead of $249. After that, the price goes up — lock in your spot now.

Secure your spot: www.sligolawgroup.com/ferpa-webinar

01/27/2026

We’re excited to share that Denise Morelli and Marcus Hedrick have joined Sligo Law Group as Of Counsel.

Denise and Marcus aren’t just outstanding attorneys, they’re former colleagues and trusted friends we’ve worked alongside for years. We’ve seen firsthand their deep expertise in federal education law, higher education compliance, disability and civil rights, and federal grants and enforcement work, and we couldn’t be more excited to be working with them again.

Their experience strengthens our ability to support education agencies, institutions, and organizations navigating complex federal education and accountability challenges. Just as importantly, they share our commitment to equity, careful legal analysis, and practical, client-focused solutions.

We’re thrilled to welcome them to the firm and to continue working together.

🔗 Read the full announcement here:

Sligo Law Group, PLLC is pleased to announce that two additional former U.S. Department of Education attorneys, Denise Morelli and Marcus Hedrick , have joined the firm as Of Counsel. Their addition significantly expands the firm’s depth of experience in higher education compliance and disability

01/08/2026

Brace for Impact: Federal Education Policy in the New Year

Join us for a free webinar on January 15 at 1 p.m. ET!

🔗https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_I-GldO4_QaGv374Dr8EoCw

2025 was a turbulent year in education. As we step into 2026, clarity may still be elusive—but patterns are emerging. Join us and our federal education law and policy “besties” for a candid, fast-paced conversation about what to watch in the months ahead.

Featuring: Loredana Valtierra, Jessica Cardichon, Becca Walawender, Audrey Levorse, Dennis Cariello, Antoinette Flores, Michael Pillera, Beth Gellman-Beer, Ron Petracca, Josie Eskow Skinner, Paul Riddle, Lydia Makande, Jill Siegelbaum, Dan Gordon, and Emily Merolli

What are your predictions for the year ahead?

01/05/2026

⏰ The Equitable Services Institute starts January 22 ⏰

Our first session will be on January 22 with a deep dive into one of the most important and most misunderstood parts of equitable services: consultation.

Session 1: Getting to Yes — How to Ensure Effective Consultation
📅 January 22, 2026
🕐 1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
💻 Live, virtual training
$ Promotional pricing extended through January 15

Timely and meaningful consultation between public and private school officials is the foundation of equitable services and a frequent source of conflict when it’s done late, incompletely, or without clear documentation.

This session focuses on:
• When consultation must begin
• What topics federal law requires
• How to reach agreement in practice
• How to document consultation in a way that holds up

If you work with ESEA programs and want consultation processes that are compliant, defensible, and constructive, this session is designed for you.

👉 Register by January 15 to save.

https://www.sligolawgroup.com/esi-registration

01/02/2026

Foreign gift and contract reporting just got real.

The U.S. Department of Education has launched a new Section 117 reporting portal, designed to improve access and use by colleges and universities in disclosing foreign funding and portending greater scrutiny by the Department of foreign gifts to, and contracts with, those institutions.

If your institution receives foreign gifts or contracts, this is the moment to make sure your Section 117 process actually holds up.

📌 Section 117 of the Higher Education Act: Basics of Foreign Gift and Contract Reporting
🗓 January 7, 2026 | ⏰ 1:00–2:00 p.m. ET
💻 Free webinar

We’ll break down what’s reportable, where institutions get tripped up, and what the new portal signals about oversight going forward.

👉 Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/5017646110581/WN_B5dSnEl3ThevNWrfuUWYmQ

Join us for a free 60-minute webinar on Section 117 of the Higher Education Act: Basics of Foreign Gift and Contract Reporting for Institutions of Higher Education. This session will provide an overview of requirements for reporting foreign gifts and contracts under Section 117 of the Higher Educati...

11/26/2025

🍁 Happy Thanksgiving from Sligo Law Group 🍁

As we pause to reflect this season, our team is especially grateful for the educators, program administrators, advocates, and public servants who work every day to support students and strengthen communities nationwide.

This year brought significant change in federal education policy and real challenges for states, districts, schools, and institutions. Through it all, we’ve been honored to partner with so many of you on the legal, programmatic, and compliance issues that matter for students and families. Your commitment to equity, transparency, and high-quality education continues to inspire our work.

Wishing you rest, warmth, and time with the people who matter most.

11/18/2025

Sligo Law Group, PLLC is aware of the administration’s plans to announce the so-called “Final Mission” of the U.S. Department of Education. Agency representatives spoke with State Superintendents earlier today, and a staff meeting was called for this afternoon. As of now, we understand that plans include the use of interagency agreements to facilitate the illegal transfer of Department offices and functions to other federal agencies. Impacted offices include the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office for Civil Rights, Office of Postsecondary Education, and Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. Congress created these offices and their functions within the Department — attempts to remove them and shift their functions to other agencies is in violation of federal statute and contrary to the interests of the schools and students they serve.

The Department of Education was created in 1980 with the understanding that the nation’s students and schools could not be adequately served by a patchwork of functions scattered among several different agencies. The Department’s purpose is to consolidate those federal education functions and provide a unified source for the civil rights protections of our country’s most vulnerable students. As a single organization, the Department has, for 45 years, efficiently and effectively overseen these responsibilities, with 0.2% of the federal workforce administering and overseeing 4% of the federal budget. Its staff have provided decades of necessary technical assistance to state and local partners, assistance for parents of students with disabilities, and enforcement support to students and their families in need of civil rights protections.

We are continuing to closely monitor the situation.

11/07/2025

We’re now 38 days into the longest shutdown in U.S. history. Many government functions have stopped. Countless federal workers have been furloughed, and many others are showing up to work without pay.

We've been there, and we’re so sorry this is happening.

To help, we’ve pulled together a list of resources available to federal employees as they approach week six without a paycheck.

This isn’t an exhaustive list, and inclusion of a business or organization isn’t an endorsement—just a starting point for anyone who may need it.

If you know of additional resources, please share them in the comments so we can help get the word out.

🔗

Federal Employee Resource Guide Resources for Furloughed Federal Employees and Contractors Quick links and relief options for federal employees and contractors in the DMV and nationwide. These links are provided for general information only. Sligo Law Group, PLLC does not endorse or verify the accur...

11/04/2025

🎓 Announcing the Equitable Services Institute 🎓
Four-part virtual training series | January–April 2026

We’re excited to announce the Equitable Services Institute, a comprehensive four-session virtual training series designed for state and local educational agencies, private schools, and equitable services providers.

Led by Sligo Law Group attorneys Michael Anderson and Josie Eskow Skinner—former U.S. Department of Education attorneys who advised on equitable services—this series offers a practical and in-depth exploration of the federal requirements that govern equitable services under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Participants will gain tools to strengthen compliance, improve collaboration, and deliver meaningful services to eligible students, teachers, and families.

📘 Equitable Services Institute
💰 Introductory Sale Price: $649 for all four sessions or available for individual purchase
💡 Save over 15% through December 31, 2025

📅 Four sessions (all virtual)
➤Session 1 (Jan. 22, 2026): Getting to Yes – How to Ensure Effective Consultation (90 mins, $195)
➤Session 2 (Feb. 26, 2026): Money Matters – Equitable Services Funding and Other Fiscal Considerations (90 mins, $195)
➤Session 3 (Mar. 26, 2026): Equitable Services in Action – Delivering Services (90 mins, $195)
➤Session 4 (Apr. 30, 2026): Ensuring Equity – Program Evaluation, Monitoring, and Enforcement (60 mins, $149)

🎥 All sessions will be recorded, and registrants will receive access to presentation materials and recordings.

🔗 Learn more and register here: https://www.sligolawgroup.com/esinstitute