Heather Clingerman is an attorney in Bricker Graydon’s Education Practice Group with over 12 years of experience navigating complex regulatory landscapes. Regularly serving education and other public clients, her practice focuses on contract negotiations and drafting, policy development, and regulatory compliance. Further, Heather has special interests and experience in data privacy, cybersecurity, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence.

Prior to joining Bricker Graydon, Heather spent more than 10 years at the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce’s Office for Exceptional Children where she led investigations into more than 300 special education complaints and enforced compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). She played a key role in expanding Ohio’s special education mediation and facilitation program and regularly presented at national conferences on dispute resolution and data-driven decision-making in education. In other roles, Heather prepared and negotiated complex agreements, working closely with agency leadership to identify and manage legal risks, ensuring compliance with both state and federal law.

Heather is known for her collaborative approach and practical problem-solving skills. She deeply values building strong working relationships across agencies and with community partners, and she takes pride in helping public organizations meet their goals through clear, effective, and compliant legal solutions.

Education

Capital University Law School (J.D., 2012), Order of the Curia, Children and Family Law Concentration
Ohio University, B.S., Journalism & B.A., Anthropology (2006)

Family and Lifetime Learning: When not in the office, Heather can be found spending time with her family. Heather and her husband have an adult daughter and two sons still in school. Most evenings and weekends are dedicated to cheering her sons on in hockey and soccer. Heather has an unending love of learning and spends quiet time reading or learning new, but often ultimately useless, knowledge. When the family’s busy schedules allow, you can find them out exploring the world.