David R. Mishook

As an enthusiastic advocate for public learning, litigator David Mishook advises and defends California school districts, county offices of education and community college administrators statewide in all aspects of student services and special education cases. Appearing in state, federal and appellate courts statewide, he handles general, complex and municipal litigation involving issues of civil rights, civil harassment, employment, personal injury and criminal matters.

David regularly conducts and defends depositions, facilitates status conferences and represents school agencies in state special education due process hearings and in special education appeals in federal court. His counsel includes advising districts in threatened and filed class action litigation related to the provision of special education services, including assisting in successful settlements. Regularly providing training sessions on key topics, David guides clients in crafting or adjusting policies and procedures that help prevent problems and disputes from arising.

Whether David is helping clients navigate matters involving discipline, expulsion, the gender spectrum, Individual Education Plans (IEPs) or other fraught issues, he places a premium on ensuring that students receive sensitive and fair treatment that facilitates the best educations possible for their particular circumstances. As David puts it: “What I want to see most for California’s students, including my own children, is a strong public school system meeting every individual’s needs.”

Always taking a highly professional approach, David is very knowledgeable about the law and gains a full understanding of the facts of a case to emphasize strengths and overcome weaknesses. In addition, David’s reputation as an outstanding legal analyst, logician and writer makes him highly in-demand to author high-stakes briefs. No matter what method he uses to further his clients’ interests, he cuts through the noise to zero-in on the core of every issue.

David brings a wealth of valuable experience to his current practice. While in law school, he worked with the Juvenile Hall Outreach Project, teaching Street Law to incarcerated youth in Alameda County, and also served as an extern for the Hon. Carlos T. Bea of the Ninth Circuit Federal Court of Appeal in San Francisco.

After receiving his J.D., David became an attorney fellow at the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office, where he was responsible for arraignments and preliminary hearings, as well as arguing evidentiary matters. He also served as an indigent criminal appellate panel attorney for the Sixth District Appellate Project, the First District Appellate Project and the California Appellate Project-Los Angeles. Prior to joining F3 Law, David practiced general litigation at a Marin County law firm, specializing in municipal litigation and criminal defense.