Laura Booth has represented school districts for 35 years. Laura focuses much of her work with schools in Minnesota and North Dakota on preventive 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. Laura chairs the firm’s annual Special Education Law & Leadership Conference which supports the advocacy of students with disabilities particularly those BIPOC scholars in our Midwest communities.
Laura routinely advises clients on all areas of education law, including special education, 504, transgender and other student issues; discrimination; data practices; open meeting matters; employment issues; policy development, training and coaching in the human resources/employment area.
Practice Areas
- Special Education
- School Law
- Litigation
- Employment Law
- Appellate Advocacy
Professional Associations
- American Bar Association
- Minnesota State Bar Association
- Hennepin County Bar Association
- Minnesota School Boards Association
- National Council of School Attorneys
Bar Admissions
- Minnesota
- U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
- Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals
- U.S. Supreme Court
Education
- Hamline University School of Law, J.D., cum laude
- Michigan State University, B.A., Business Management, Human Relations
- Certified Mediation Training
Representative Cases
- Minnetonka Public Schools, Independent School District No. 276 v. M.L.K., 42 F.4th 847 (8th Cir. 2022)
- M.B. v. Osseo Area Public Schools, 2018 WL 1420497 (D. Minn. 2018)
- J.J.E. v. I.S.D. 279, 2017 WL 164432 (Minn. App. 2017)
- A.B. ex rel. Barclift v. Westonka Indep. Sch. Dist. 227, 2015 WL 321415 (D. Minn. 2015)
- I.E.C. v. Minneapolis Public Schools, 24 F.Supp.3d 1006 (D. Minn. 2014)
- C.N. v. Willmar Public Schools, 591 F.3d 624 (8th Cir. 2010)
- M.M. v. Minneapolis Schools, 512 F.3d 455 (8th Cir. 2008)
- C.J.N. v. Minneapolis Public Schools, 323 F.3d 630 (8th Cir. 2003)
- E.N. v. Special School District No. 1, 603 N.W. 2d 344 (Minn. App. 1999)
- In the Matter of Dillenberger, 486 N.W. 2d 17 (Minn. App. 1992)
- Blackburn v. Minneapolis, 1992 WL 340546 (Minn. App. 1992)
- Benda v. Madison East Properties, 1989 WL 1563 (Minn. App. 1989)
Honors & Awards
- Minnesota Association of Special Education Director’s Distinguished Service award in 2019. She is only the second attorney to receive the award – the first was one of the firm’s founders, Paul Ratwik.
- Member of the Silver Gavel Society for achievement in law school
- March of Dimes scholarship recipient as an undergraduate student for public service.
Community Involvement
- Laura taught downhill skiing to youth with disabilities for more than 15 years with Richfield’s Adaptative Recreation & Leisure Education Program
- Provided legal support to L’Arche as they work to establish a community and homes in Minnesota for adults with intellectual disabilities.