Principals Teaching the Law

David Schimmel is Professor of Education at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and Visiting Professor at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education. He is author of over 60 articles and co-author of 6 books about law and education including Teachers and the Law,7th edition (2007) and School Law: What Every Educator Should Know (2008) and is recipient of the Education Press Association of America's Distinguished Achievement Award for Excellence in Educational Journalism. After graduating from Yale Law School, he briefly practiced law, was an Army Infantry Officer, and served on the Peace Corps staff for 6 years before starting his teaching career at UMass. His current research and writing focuses on promoting legal literacy for teachers. Suzanne E. Eckes is an associate professor in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Department at Indiana University. She has published more than 70 articles and book chapters on school law, is an editor of the Principal's Legal Handbook, and is a member of the board of directors for the Education Law Association. She is the recipient of the Jack A. Culbertson Award for outstanding achievements in education from the University Council of Educational Administration. Prior to joining the faculty at Indiana University, Eckes was a high school French teacher and an attorney. She earned her master's degree in education from Harvard University and her law degree and PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Learn more about Matthew Militello's PD offerings


Matthew Militello is an assistant professor in the Educational Policy and Leadership Studies Department at North Carolina State University. He held a similar position at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where he was also the educational administration program coordinator. Prior to his academic career, Militello was a middle and high school teacher, assistant principal, and principal. His research focuses on developing principals' knowledge and skills in the areas of school law, school data, and collective leadership. Militello has more than 30 publications including articles in Education Policy, Education and Urban Society, Harvard Educational Review, Journal of School Leadership, Leadership Quarterly, Principal Leadership, and Teachers College Record. Militello also co-authored another Corwin book, "Leading with inquiry and action: How principals improve teaching and learning" (2009). He received his undergraduate degree and teaching certification from the University of Michigan and his MEd and PhD from Michigan State University.