People
Linda L. Yoder

Linda L. Yoder

she/her/hers

Partner

Linda is former chair of Shipman's School Law Practice Group where, for more than 25 years, she has advised public and independent schools, colleges and universities and related education entities on the full spectrum of education law. Linda’s experience is unparalleled: As a thought leader, legal advisor, litigator, and trial and appellate lawyer, her career offers a window onto the most pressing issues that educational institutions, educators, parents and students have faced over the decades — and must address today. Many of the cases she has handled have clarified or defined national and Connecticut law and set standards in areas such as statutes of limitation, non-renewal of teaching staff and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Prior to joining Shipman, Linda served the State of New Jersey as a Deputy Attorney General in the Office of the Attorney General’s Division of Criminal Justice Appellate and Trial Sections. While there, she was a member of the team that represented the State of New Jersey before the United States Supreme Court in New Jersey v. T.L.O, the seminal case with regard to school searches. At the Attorney General’s office and after entering private practice, Linda has successfully argued cases before the New Jersey and Connecticut Supreme Courts, federal district courts and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, in addition to handling hundreds of matters in courtrooms, negotiations, alternative-dispute resolution forums, administrative hearings and class action litigation.

Linda’s practice currently is focused on education-related legal issues relating to staff and faculty employment, operations of educational institutions and student matters. She advises on matters ranging from faculty performance concerns, disability-related claims, and special education investigation and litigation of civil rights claims, including Title IX, sexual harassment, race-based discrimination and First Amendment rights, and student discipline. Drawing on her significant litigation experience, Linda offers effective, proactive counsel on day-to-day and strategic issues to develop policies and address contract disputes, faculty and student handbooks, school security, administration of medications, confidentiality of student and employee information, and other legislative and regulatory requirements affecting educational institutions. She has also worked with advocacy groups and Connecticut agencies to help shape policy and, most recently, is advising school districts and other educational institutions to identify adaptations necessary to deliver educational and related services to students while protecting the safety and health of students, faculty and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Linda understands that schools often stand at the forefront of emerging social and legal issues —such as the legalization of marijuana, rights of transgender individuals and Americans with Disabilities Act accommodations — and recognizes the special sensitivities surrounding disputes in these areas. She works closely with clients and her clients’ stakeholders to identify common ground and achieve solutions that, where possible, resolve competing demands without resort to litigation.

Linda speaks frequently on issues facing educational institutions at functions sponsored by various professional organizations and the State Department of Education, and at in-service programs offered by school districts. For several years, she has served on the Executive Committee of the Connecticut Bar Association, Education Section.