Pamela Leist
Partner
513-441-5600 | pleist@gingobair.com
Pam is a trusted advisor to boards of education, guiding them through complex legal and policy matters. Her practice encompasses labor and employment law, student discipline, special education, board policy development, legislative review, board member training, and Ohio Sunshine Laws compliance. She is a knowledgeable advisor regarding career technical education and has represented several Career Technical Center (CTC) industry groups.
Known for her strategic approach, Pam has served as lead negotiator in collective bargaining for both teaching and non-teaching staff, and is a registered lobbyist in Ohio. She also has extensive experience representing boards before state and federal courts and administrative agencies.
EDUCATION
University of Cincinnati College of Law (J.D., 2007)
University of Cincinnati (B.B.A., Marketing, Management, and International Business, summa cum laude, 2003)
ADMISSIONS
Ohio, 2007
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit
U.S. Dist. Ct., S. Dist. of Ohio
RECOGNITIONS
Ohio Super Lawyers “Rising Star” (2019)
ASSOCIATIONS
Ohio State Bar Association Education Law Committee
Ohio State Bar Association Leadership Academy Class of 2016
Legal Adviser and Judge, Ohio Mock Trial Competition
Planning Chair, Ohio State Bar Association School Law Workshop
Board of Trustees, North College Hill Community Seniors, Inc.
North College Hill Business Association Executive Committee
Experience
Advises and represents boards in workers’ compensation matters, both before the Industrial Commission and in court.
Represents boards before the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, the State Personnel Board of Review, the State Employment Relations Board, the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, and the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.
Advises on special education matters, including drafting IEP documents, responding to due process complaints, and defending districts in federal court against claims brought by parents under federal and state special education laws.