Frank D. Aquila presents a timely book on the subject of School Law. The book is arranged, like most other school law texts, thematically, presenting cases in four parts: Policy Issues, Students' Rights, Teachers' Rights, and Legal Aspects of Schools. Issues are subdivided into individual chapters. For example: Policy Issues includes chapters on Desegration, Church-State Interaction and No Child Left Behind. Each chapter includes thorough discussions of the most notable "landmark cases" with which we should all be familiar. Additionally, examples of lesser known cases, and even hypothetical cases with discussion questions, facilitate discussions of basic principles in each chapter.This is a newer text (copyright 2008), including currently relevant topics such as Contract Liability, Tort Liability, Financing and Use of Public Funds, Violence in Schools, and Internet Issues. In addition, there are useful introductions to the legal system and to legal research, online website access to those cases Mr. Aquila has cited, even a map showing U.S. Federal Court Districts. Appendices include Selected Portions of the U.S. Constitution(those relevant to education, of course) and a Table of Authorities linking specific cases to their locations within the text. The glossary includes clear explanations of relevant legal terms. In short, all the things I remember having to go to other sites to research when I took School Law.I found the book to be well-organized, comprehensive, easy to navigate, and easy to understand. I would recommend this to any teacher or student of School Law.
