Hinsdale D86 Legal Bill Plunges In October

HINSDALE, IL – After seeing dramatic increases in legal costs, Hinsdale High School District 86 received an unusually low bill for October.

Oak Brook-based Engler, Callaway, Baasten & Sraga charged the district $11,727 for legal services, a bill that the board approved at its meeting last week.

It's a huge drop from the district's August legal bill, which was $132,000. That was from the district's law firm at the time, Chicago-based Robbins Schwartz. (It is unclear whether the district will get a legal bill for September.)

In early September, Robbins Schwartz terminated its relationship with the district, saying the district was "unreasonably difficult" to serve. That was a few days after the school board hired Engler for some of its legal business.

Late last month, the board voted unanimously against paying the $132,000 bill.

The board last week hired Evergreen Park-based Odelson, Murphey, Frazier & McGrath, with 21 attorneys, as its new firm.

For much of the year, the district's legal bills were a lot larger than those in other districts, even bigger ones.