Samantha A. Vajskop
Associate Attorney
Cleveland
216.520.0088
svajskop@pepple-waggoner.com
vCard
@SVajskopPW
Samantha Vajskop assists school boards with prosecuting and defending civil lawsuits, drafting contracts, complying with special education requirements, real property tax valuation cases, and general school law matters. Samantha previously worked as an associate at a consumer rights firm, where her practice included representing clients against construction companies, handling employment law matters, and arguing appeals.
Samantha is a proud graduate of Ashland University, where she was a member of the Ashbrook Scholar Program. As part of the Ashbrook Program Samantha authored and defended her undergraduate thesis, Elena’s War: Russian Women in Combat, which explored Soviet women’s involvement in World War II and received the Charles E. Parton Award for Outstanding Thesis. She graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science.
Samantha received her J.D. from CSU College of Law, where she also graduated magna cum laude. During law school, Samantha served as Vice-Chair of the Law School’s Moot Court Team, and she competed on a team that argued appeals to a mock Supreme Court.
In her free time, Samantha enjoys spending time with her nephews, getting lost in a good book, and volunteering at a local hospice.
Bar Admissions
Ohio
Court Admissions
United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio
United States District Court, Southern District of Ohio
Ohio local and state courts
Professional & Civic Organizations/Activities
Ohio State Bar Association
Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
Ohio Council of School Board Attorneys
Education
J.D., magna cum laude, CSU College of Law, Cleveland State University
B.A., magna cum laude, History and Political Science, Ashland University
Selected Presentations & Published Works
2022
“Child Find in 2022 and Beyond” – Special Education Seminar
“Just What The Doctor Ordered: A Primer on Leave Requests” – School Law Update Seminar
“Religion & Schools: Prayer, Release Time and Expression” – OSBA Capital Conference
“Registering and Placing Undocumented and Immigrant Students” – OSBA Workshop
“What’s hAPPening – Best and Worst Apps” – OSBA Cyberlaw Workshop
2021
“Take It Or Leave It: Managing Employee Leave Requests and Issues” – OASBO
“Know the Ground Rules: Understanding the Meaning of FAPE” – Special Education Seminar
2020
“Ohio Sunshine Law: Online, In-Person, and Out of Trouble”; School Law Update Seminar
“Independent Educational Evaluations”; Special Education Seminar
2019
“The Power of the PR-01”; Special Education Seminar
“Dealing with Drugs: Policy and Testing for Students and Employees”; School Law Update Seminar
2018
“Civil Rights and Wrongs: Practical Tips for Navigating Discrimination Issues”; School Law Update Seminar