With 17 years of experience serving in Illinois school districts, Cassie Black is uniquely positioned to understand the needs of clients and help them arrive at student-centric solutions. Her previous work included roles as a school psychologist, assistant principal, director of student services and assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction. This valuable background now informs and enriches her legal practice. 

As an administrator, Cassie excelled at supporting students with diverse needs. She now advises school districts on a variety of special education issues and student matters involving residency, records, discipline, and rights and responsibilities. Cassie also handles matters relating to due process and IEP meetings, OCR investigations for disability discrimination, behavioral assessment and intervention plans, implementation of restorative and trauma-informed practices, transgender students, social media, homelessness, and confidentiality. 

Cassie finds great satisfaction in partnering with an array of school districts and helping them improve the ways they support students. She particularly enjoys working proactively to help clients avoid problems down the road, giving presentations and providing guidance on developing or refining their practices and procedures. When disagreements arise between schools and families, Cassie strives to craft resolutions that protect her clients’ interests while also incorporating what’s best for the children. 

Bringing an approachable, down-to-earth manner, Cassie builds strong relationships with her clients. She doesn’t hesitate to ask hard questions and engage them in conversations that encourage critical analysis of situations. Always taking the time to listen carefully, Cassie finds practical ways to get school districts where they want to go.