LAURA TUBBS BOOTH is an attorney with Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney, P.A. She has represented school districts for over 25 years and is the recipient of the 2019 Minnesota Association of Special Educators' Distinguished Service Award. Ms. Booth focuses much of her work with schools in Minnesota and North Dakota on preventive law and the practical application of the law. She has represented clients in administrative proceedings and in state and federal courts including the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. Ms. Booth routinely advises clients on all areas of education law, including special education and other student issues; discrimination; data practices and open meeting matters; employment issues; investigation of employment and child maltreatment issues; policy development, training and coaching in the human resources/employment area. She has successfully represented Minnesota schools in several cases that have shaped education law in Minnesota. Ms. Booth is a cum laude graduate of Hamline University School of Law.

ALEX D. IVAN is an attorney with Kennedy & Graven, Chartered, where his practice is concentrated primarily in the areas of education law and civil litigation, with a particular emphasis on special education law. Prior to joining Kennedy & Graven, he practiced in Arizona with a firm representing over 40 public school districts throughout that state. Mr. Ivan earned his B.A. degree in economics and political science, summa cum laude, from Baylor University, where he was selected as a Phi Beta Kappa scholar. Before entering law school, he taught high school English and obtained his M.Ed. in secondary education from Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University. Mr. Ivan received his J.D. degree from the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, Arizona State University. While a law student, he worked in the Arizona Department of Education's Special Education Dispute Resolution Unit. Mr. Ivan is licensed to practice in Minnesota and Arizona, and is a member of the National School Boards Association Council of School Attorneys and its local affiliates.

ELIZABETH MESKE is an associate attorney with Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney, P.A. She enjoys serving Minnesota schools by providing pragmatic legal advice and representation in all areas of school law. She focuses in the areas of special education law, labor and employment law, and data practices. Ms. Meske also regularly conducts investigations for Minnesota school districts, cities, and the State of Minnesota. She received her B.A. degree from the University of Minnesota and her J.D. degree from William Mitchell College of Law.

CHRISTIAN R. SHAFER is an attorney at Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney, P.A. Mr. Shafer represents school districts, charter schools, education districts, and service cooperatives throughout the State of Minnesota on all areas of school law, special education, labor, and employment law. He represents schools in state and federal litigation and administrative proceedings, including IDEA due process hearings and administrative complaints with the Minnesota Department of Education and the Office of Civil Rights. Mr. Shafer is also a frequent presenter on school law topics, including special education law, employment law, and student discipline. He earned his B.A. degree from the University of Michigan and his J.D. degree from the University of Minnesota Law School.

ADAM C. WATTENBARGER is an attorney at Kennedy & Graven, Chartered, and practices in the areas of education law and municipal law. Prior to joining the firm, he clerked for Chief Justice Lorie Gildea on the Minnesota Supreme Court. Prior to law school, Mr. Wattenbarger received his B.S. degree in secondary education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and spent time in the classroom student teaching and substituting. He earned his J.D. degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School.

JULIE WILLIAMS is the director of student support services for Cambridge-Isanti Schools. Ms. Williams is licensed to teach K-8 Elem, 5-8 Language Arts, and K-12 special ed. She also has an administrative license for K-12 principal, director of special ed and superintendent licensure. She has more than 15 years of experience in the education system as a teacher, supervisor and a director. Ms. Williams is also a member of MASA and MASE. She received her B.A. degree, M.A. degree and her Ed.S. degree from the University of St. Thomas.