Katherine H. Meehan was an associate with Raffaele Puppio from 2006 to 2017, when she became a partner at the firm. Her legal practice is focused primarily on education law. She works closely with education, government, municipal, commercial and private clients on various matters, including employment, contract, Right to Know, Sunshine Act, and policy matters. She also has experience in civil litigation, including personal injury, and discrimination matters.
She provides practical and wise guidance to safeguard clients’ well-being including what is in the best interests of the school boards, staff, students and the wider community.
Prior to joining Raffaele Puppio, Kate served as a law clerk for the late Honorable Joseph F. Battle, Jr. from 1997 to 2001.
Kate has presented and lectured on a variety of employment related subjects, including conducting investigations, retention of documents, and criminal background checks. As one who enjoys legal research and writing, Kate has also authored and co-authored many appellate briefs on a variety of topics and has argued before the Pennsylvania Superior Court. For many years, she co-authored materials concerning Pennsylvania’s Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law for the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association’s annual auto seminar.
She received a Bachelor of Arts in politics with a minor in sociology from Ithaca College and her Juris Doctor from Villanova University School of Law. She is admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in both state and federal courts.
Education:
- Villanova University School of Law, J.D. (1994)
- Ithaca College, B.A. (1988)
Experience:
- Raffaele Puppio (2006 – Present)
- Eckell, Sparks, Levy, Auerbach, Monte, Rainer & Sloane, P.C. (1999 – 2004)
- Court of Common Pleas, Delaware County, Pennsylvania (1998 – 2001)
- Sloane, Raffaele & Schuster, P.C. (Previously Caine, DiPasqua, Sloane & Raffaele) (1994 – 1999)
Court Admissions:
- Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- Third Circuit Court of Appeals
Professional Associations & Memberships:
- Delaware County Bar Association
- Pennsylvania Bar Association
- Pennsylvania School Boards Association
Honors & Activities:
- American International Cultural Exchange Institute, Board Member (1999 – Present)
- Media Presbyterian Church, Deacon (2008 – 2012) and Elder (2013 – Present)
Speaking Engagements:
- Pennsylvania School Board Association (October 2016)
- PSBA School Law Workshop, Setting Appropriate Boundaries with Students (October 2015)
- Changes to the Educator Discipline Act (Various dates and locations)
- Changes to the Criminal Background Check Requirements (Various dates and locations)
- New Pre-Employment Screening Requirements for School Employees (Various dates and locations)
- Record Retention (Various dates and locations)
- Due Process in Employment Matters (Various dates and locations)
- Defense of Marriage Act Overturned (Various dates and locations)
- Sexual Harassment (Various dates and locations)
- Workplace Harassment (Various dates and locations)
Tidbits:
In her spare time, Kate enjoys reading, cooking, gardening, volunteering at a local soup kitchen and volunteering with church to help others with home repairs.
Practice Areas
Recent News
Raffaele Puppio Partner Authors Update on Pennsylvania Public School Code for The Legal Intelligencer
Raffaele Puppio partner and education attorney Katherine Meehan authored an article about Act 44 and the changes it brings to the Pennsylvania Public School Code. Read More...
Katherine H. Meehan featured in PivotToday for Delaware County Leadership
Katherine Meehan, a partner with Media-based Raffaele Puppio and who's practice focuses on school law and government services, talks with PIVOT Today about growing up in Connecticut, moving to Delaware County, attending Villanova University School of Law and her favorite weekend getaway. Read More...
What You Need to Know About Changes to the Pa. Public School Code
On June 22, 2018, Act 44 was enacted containing, among other things, new school safety provisions that have immediate requirements of schools across the state as they start the new school year. Article XIII of the Pennsylvania Public School Code of 1949 is amended to add sections B, C, and D which address the establishment of a Safety and Security Committee, provisions around school police and School Resource Officers (SROs), and establishing the Safe2Say program, respectively. The following are highlights of each section. Read More...
Katherine H. Meehan Named Partner at Raffaele Puppio
Delaware County full-service law firm Raffaele Puppio is pleased to announce that Katherine H. Meehan has been named a partner at the firm. Read More...
Katherine H. Meehan Presents at Annual PA School Leadership Conference
Katherine H. Meehan, a school law and government services attorney with Delaware County full-service law firm Raffaele Puppio, recently presented as part of the annual PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference. Read More...
From The Blog
Concerns for PA Employers Regarding Medical Marijuana Use by Employees
October 26, 2017Pennsylvania has legalized the use of medical marijuana for certain specified ailments. Those ailments include the following: • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) • Autism • Cancer • Crohn’s Disease • Damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity • Epilepsy • Glaucoma • HIV/AIDS • Huntington’s Disease... Read More...
Medical Marijuana Use at Schools In Pennsylvania
October 12, 2017Following the enactment of Act 16 of 2016, also known as the Medical Marijuana Act, the use of certain forms of marijuana (termed “medical marijuana”) has become legal in Pennsylvania for certain serious medical conditions. This does not necessarily mean that school law in Pennsylvania permits the use of medical marijuana by staff or students.... Read More...