Diana S. McDonough began her career in education as a high school teacher. Since becoming a member of the California Bar in 1978, Ms. McDonough has represented school districts in labor and employment, student, special education, and general local government issues. She joined the firm in 2006 as Of Counsel and works part-time from the Oakland office.
Ms. McDonough is known statewide for her expertise in special education. She represented the California School Boards Association's Education Legal Alliance in the landmark special education lawsuit Riverside County Superintendent of Schools v. Commission on State Mandates. She was a prime negotiator in the 2001 settlement of this matter which resulted in $500 million for schools and an annual increase of $100 million in state special education funding. She has also represented schools in numerous due process hearings, in IEPs, mediations, and in three cases before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (Scanlon by Birkner v. San Francisco Unified Sch. Dist. (9th Cir. 1995), Clovis Unified Sch. Dist. v. California Office of Admin. Hearings (9th Cir. 1990), and Abu-Sahyun v. Palo Alto Unified Sch. Dist. (9th Cir. 1988).
In labor and employment, Ms. McDonough has worked in advisory and at-the-table capacities, bargaining successfully with both certificated and classified units. She has experience with unfair practice hearings before the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) and has appeared in numerous arbitrations. She is a certified CTA/Management Interest Based Bargaining Trainer with experience in providing three-day trainings for clients and non-clients. She also trained with CFIER, currently the Center for Collaborative Solutions. Ms. McDonough has also advised districts regarding certificated and classified employment issues, representing many districts in certificated lay-off hearings and for-cause dismissals for both certificated and classified employees.
Ms. McDonough is a California native, a graduate of Lynwood High School. She received her J.D., cum laude, from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, graduating in the top 10% of her class. She holds an M.A. in history and a secondary teaching credential from the University of California, Berkeley. She also holds an A.B., cum laude, from Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts.