Kalani Linnell joined Raffaele Puppio in 2022 as an associate wherein she represents public and private schools in all areas of education law, including special education, Title IX, and general solicitor matters. Kalani is a reliable resource to clients on Title IX/sexual harassment, the First Amendment, employment matters, the Pennsylvania School Code, and Right to Know requests. In 2020, Kalani worked with the Pennsylvania School Board Association (PSBA) on the model policy for trauma informed approaches to education as well as the model policy incorporation Title IX’s sexual harassment response requirements.
Kalani is passionate about education. She majored in English Literature and Secondary Education at West Chester University and taught in Chester County before attending law school. She understands day-to-day school operations, which allows her to effectively assist clients in challenging circumstances.
In law school, Kalani won awards for the top performance in legal writing and statutory courses. She graduated in the top 15% of her class. Kalani was recognized at graduation for her commitment to pro bono services and her scholarly contributions to trust and estates law.
Before joining Raffaele and Puppio, Kalani represented public schools and colleges at Barley Snyder in central Pennsylvania. Kalani also performed investigations and acted as a hearing officer for a national Title IX consulting firm. In addition, Kalani worked with school aged children as a swim coach for six years and acted as a first responder for the Ocean City, MD Beach Patrol for ten seasons.
Education:
West Chester University, B.S.Ed. English Literature and Secondary Education, magna cum laude
Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, J.D., cum laude
Court Admissions:
- Pennsylvania Supreme Court
- Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- Middle District of Pennsylvania
Honors & Activities:
- Advoz, Basic Mediator Training (2021)
- Published by Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), “Avoiding ‘Zoom Bombing’ in the New Age of Meetings (May 19, 2020)
- Published in Pennsylvania Lawyer Magazine, “Let’s Have ‘The Talk’ About Title IX” (November/December Issue 2020)
Link: https://bt.e-ditionsbyfry.com/publication/?i=677819&article_id=3792731&view=articleBrowser
- Recipient of the Honorable Albert R. Sheppard Fellowship from the Philadelphia Bar Association (2017-2018)