We advise charter schools, private schools, BOCES, enrichment programs, innovation schools, institutions of higher education, and affiliated education organizations on every aspect of running a school — from board governance and special education to employment, contracting, internal investigations, tax and real estate matters, and compliance with Colorado’s open records and open meetings laws.
Our counsel is built for the real world of school leadership. Whether you’re heading into a board meeting, navigating a difficult parent conversation, or managing the demands of daily administration, we give you advice that’s clear, practical, and tailored to your situation.
Board of Governance | Strategic Governance Oversight
School boards operate in public. Statutory duties, community expectations, and open records laws all shape how decisions are made – and how they’re judged afterward.
We advise clients on every dimension of board governance: drafting and revising bylaws and governing documents, board policies, conflicts of interest, charter and authorizer matters, board training, and the situations where the legal answer and the institutional answer must align. We leverage our experience with our institutional knowledge and relationships with school and board leadership to advise effectively when the next governance question arrives.
Julie Petersen
First Amendment - Speech & Religion | Safeguarding Speech & Religious Liberties
First Amendment issues in education usually arise in live disputes over a flag, a t-shirt, a graduation prayer, a guest speaker, or a parent at a board meeting. They can move quickly and carry legal, political, and reputational consequences at the same time.
We advise education clients on speech and religion issues affecting schools and campuses, including student and employee expression, religious accommodation, and public-forum questions. The work involves assessing the governing legal framework, the institutional posture, and the practical consequences of the available options before the issue hardens into a broader conflict.
These situations need an answer that is legally defensible, operationally workable, and ready to be explained to non-lawyers on short notice. We bring the doctrinal background and the experience of working through these questions in the actual setting where they arise.
Eric Hall
Internal Investigations | Thorough & Impartial Institutional Reviews
Special education issues occur within a nuanced legal framework that is both detailed and time-sensitive. An eligibility question, an IEP dispute, or a discipline issue can affect the student, the family, the school, and the administrative record at the same time.
We advise education clients on issues arising under IDEA, Section 504, the ADA, and Colorado’s ECEA framework. The work includes eligibility and accommodation issues, IEP and Section 504 disputes, discipline questions, due-process matters, record issues, and counseling on how to address concerns before they become formal proceedings.
This work requires holding the statutory framework, the student’s circumstances, and the institutions obligations in view simultaneously to ensure that sound decisions are made now.
Julie Petersen
Special Education | Counsel for Inclusive Learning
Sparks Willson forms corporations and limited liability companies in Colorado, Delaware, and other jurisdictions for clients across a wide range of industries and stages. A physician forming a professional entity, two partners launching a business, a holding company establishing a new subsidiary, and a founder organizing a company in anticipation of raising capital all require different structures, governance documents, and ownership arrangements. We help clients choose the right entity, organize it correctly, and put governing documents in place that reflect how the business will actually operate and grow.
Many clients come to us after the business is already running and the existing documents are inadequate, outdated, or poorly matched to the company’s needs. We regularly revise or replace operating agreements and governance documents, restructure entities, convert LLCs to corporations, and clean up problems that have compounded over months or years of operating on a flawed foundation. The cost of fixing those issues grows the longer they go unaddressed.
For clients who need ongoing governance support, we handle annual resolutions, written consents, ownership transfers, buy-sell agreements, bylaw amendments, equity restructurings, and the routine corporate maintenance that keeps an entity in good standing and its records current. Some of this work is part of a broader outside general counsel relationship. Much of it is project-based and handled by attorneys who understand corporate structure and tailor the engagement to what the situation actually requires.
Ben Sparks
Sunshine Laws – CORA and Open Meetings | Accountability & Public Access
Open records and open meetings issues rarely arise on their own. A personnel matter, board dispute, investigation, controversial policy decision, or active litigation can suddenly generate overlapping obligations under CORA and Colorado’s Open Meetings Law — and the legal analysis has to move quickly and fit the specific context in which the issue arose.
We advise education clients on compliance with the Colorado Open Records Act, the Colorado Open Meetings Law, and related public body requirements. That work includes meeting structure, executive session questions, records requests, and the privilege issues that arise when transparency obligations collide with other legal obligations.
A misstep in this area can create exposure on multiple fronts simultaneously. Getting it right depends on knowing the facts — and often on knowing the institution before the request arrives. That’s where having existing experienced counsel pays off.
Eric Hall
Why Choose Us
Experienced Excellence
Our senior attorneys handle the work directly. Clients get seasoned judgment, not supervised associates.
Straight talk
We tell clients what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. That means plain language, honest assessments, and direct advice — especially when the answer is uncomfortable.
We know the context
Legal problems don't exist in isolation. We take the time to understand the institution, the relationships, and the stakes before offering an answer.
A firm with history
We've been part of the Colorado legal community for over 50 years. That track record reflects a consistent approach to client work, not a rebrand.
Quality over volume
We're selective about the work we take on because it makes us better at the work we do. Clients aren't managed — they're represented.
Our Unique Qualifications
- Advising boards on bylaws, conflicts, and policy.
- Providing rapid, workable counsel on student and employee investigations.
- Proactive counsel on IDEA, Section 504, and ECEA.
- Integrating CORA and Open Meetings Law compliance with institutional knowledge to mitigate risks.
Our Strategic Advantages Are All Yours
- We provide actionable legal answers for your board, administrators, and daily operations, translating the law into workable school policy.
- Our counsel is grounded in your institution’s history and internal dynamics, so we can anticipate problems and provide informed advice immediately.
- We create long-lasting systems of institutional integrity, so you can focus on students instead of paperwork.
We Make Law Less Painful
- We offer proactive counsel to help you resolve issues before they escalate into public/costly litigations.
- We understand the nuances of Colorado education, no need to explain context or community dynamics.
Your Next Move Starts Here.
Colorado law, Colorado institutions, and Colorado relationships — situated within the broader legal framework that governs them. That’s the combination our clients rely on.