Heather Harris
Partner
Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Heather Chairs the firm's Charter School and School Innovation group. She advises on education reform, including innovation network agreements with public school districts, charter school application development, nonprofit application assistance, the development of governing documents and bylaws, and implementation of and accountability to charter school authorizers. Heather has been intimately involved in the charter school and school reform movements since the inception of the laws in Indiana in 2001. In addition, Heather works with education service providers and schools to provide high-quality educational options to Indiana students and families. She serves as counsel to charter school boards and school leaders by providing guidance on educational questions, public access, school discipline and open records, business, finance and personal matters. She helps charter school authorizers develop application, review and accountability systems, and has worked with public and private school leaders and reform organizations to promote and seek assistance from state elected and administration officials for support of new school programs and opportunities for students and families. The firm also assists schools with labor and employment matters, facility financing, litigation and pre-litigation strategies, corporate and governance, compliance, data reporting and collection, insurance and cyber insurance matters, healthcare and benefits, trademark and IP matters, special education, authorizer compliance and many other areas.