Leon Sara Hardner

aboutoverview Sara is a highly regarded education law attorney with 33 years of experience representing clients in all areas of public education law. Sara has extensive experience representing public entities, their administrators, and elected officials in administrative hearings as well as before state and federal courts. Sara has successfully represented educators, public school districts, college districts, and other educational entities before administrative bodies including the Texas Workforce Commission, the United States Department of Education Office of Civil Rights, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the United States Board of Patent and Trademark Office, the Texas Education Agency, the Texas State Board of Educator Certification, the University Interscholastic League, and the Texas Board of Nursing Examiners in investigatory and contested case proceedings. Sara has successfully litigated landmark cases involving civil rights, education and public law issues before state and federal trial courts, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the Supreme Court of Texas, and the United States Supreme Court. She has won significant victories for her clients, defending against claims arising under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Chapter 21 of the Texas Labor Code, and Chapter 21 of the Texas Education Code. Sara has extensive experience assisting school districts with school funding and public finance matters. Sara has served as trial and appellate counsel in landmark school finance litigation and has successfully handled bond validation litigation. She has assisted public school districts in negotiating economic development agreements resulting in substantial benefits to her school district clients. Memberships School Law Section, State Bar of Texas National Association of Bond Lawyers National Education Law Association Texas Council of School Attorneys