John Moenk specializes in business and school law. As an associate in the school law practice group, he regularly defends and advises schools on legal, regulatory, and compliance matters.
Before practicing law, John worked in special education, initially as an educator and later as a school principal in Parma, Ohio. He also served as program director for the Acute Partial Hospitalization Programs at the Barber National Institute in Erie, Pennsylvania, which supports children and adults with intellectual disabilities and behavioral health challenges. This background equips John with a unique perspective to understand, evaluate, and efficiently address the issues schools face.
Additionally, John provides legal counsel to small business owners and their executives and assists the attorneys leading the firm’s municipal law practice.
- Business and corporate law
- School law, including special education matters, due process complaint defense and discipline disputes.
- Public sector law – civil litigation defense and prosecutorial
- Negotiation of commercial real estate leases for publicly held companies
- Advising charter school boards on compliance and operational matters
- Counseling schools and families on IEP matters including writing, implementation, and supervision of student IEPs
- Drafting ETRs (evaluation team reports) and participation in ETR meetings
- Defense of municipalities in both litigation and nonlitigation matters
- Ohio Supreme Court (2020)
- Associate, Nicola, Gudbranson & Cooper (2020-present)
- University of Akron School of Law (JD, 2020)
- Principal, STEPS Academy, Parma, Ohio (2015-2018)
- Program Director, Barber National Institute (2014-2015)
- Cleveland State University (M.ED, 2009)
- Mount Union College (BA, communications, 2006)
- Member, Ohio State Bar Association
- Member, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
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