Hinsdale D86 Legal Bills Fall Dramatically

HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale High School District 86's legal bills surged last year before its law firm terminated the relationship, saying the district was "unreasonably difficult."

Now, the costs are plunging.

In late November, the district hired a new firm, Evergreen Park-based Odelson. Its legal bill for December was $17,799 – a number that was released Monday as part of the school board's Wednesday agenda.

That is far lower than the $131,770 bill in August from Chicago-based Robbins Schwartz. At that rate, the firm's bills would have cost the district well over $1 million in a year.

The Oak Brook-based Engler Callaway law firm, which focuses on special education matters, charged $4,524 in its most recent bill. At the current rates, the district's total legal bills from the two firms for the next year would amount to about $260,000. That's in the ballpark of other districts, even those much larger.

In October, the board voted unanimously against paying Robbins Schwartz's $131,770 bill. The firm's September bill was $62,715, which also remains unpaid. The total due is $194,485.

Earlier this month, Patch filed a public records request for communications between Robbins Schwartz and the district over the unpaid bills. But the district indicated it had no such messages. Perhaps the communications have been over the phone or in person.

In January 2024, the board voted to hire Robbins Schwartz, which had helped with the ouster of former Superintendent Tammy Prentiss months earlier. Robbins Schwartz replaced Itasca-based Hodges Loizzi.