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David Alan Harley

3.7
Rating: 3.0

Licensed for 29 years

Employment and labor Lawyer at Lake Bluff, IL
Practice Areas: Employment & Labor, Education, Elder Law, Contracts & Agreements

Mobile Office, Lake Bluff, IL

This lawyer was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 2022
See Details

About David

Practice Areas

4

Practice Areas

Employment and Labor 40%

Represent individual employees, public employees, and teachers in matters involving wrongful termination, discrimination, ADA and accommodation issues in the workplace. Represented employers for 15 years, and now employees for 13.

29 years | 100 cases

40%
Education 35%

Represent Students, parents, teachers in matters, secondary & post-secondary education, including: IEP's, special education, 504 plans, discrimination, civil rights, discipline and expulsion hearings, special education hearings and honors violations.

29 years | 400 cases

35%
Elder Law 15%

9 years | 10 cases

15%

Fees and Rates

We have not found any cost information for this lawyer


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Licenses

Licensed in South Carolina for 29 years

State: South Carolina

Acquired: 1997

Good Standing

Lawyer disciplined by state licensing authority in 2022

Licensed in Illinois for 27 years

State: Illinois

Acquired: 1998

Retired

Licensed in North Carolina for 29 years

State: North Carolina

Acquired: 1996

Inactive

Lawyer disciplined by state licensing authority in 2022

Location

Law Offices of David Alan Harley

Mobile Office, Lake Bluff, IL, 60044

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David Alan Harley's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

3.7 /5.0

25 Client Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (25) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Showing 1 - 2 of 2 reviews | Discrimination

Posted by Caroline N | June 13, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Discrimination

College Disabilities

I have a disability and anxiety. My university let me take my therapy dog into class along with other accommodations. Then without any discussion the Dean told me not to bring my dog into the class and removed other accommodations. I hired Harley Law and within 2 weeks my accommodations reinstated ...including therapy dog.

David Harley

Replied last June 13, 2019

Thank you. Glad I could be of service.

Posted by anonymous | October 11, 2018 | Discrimination

Abandonment Issues

I really wanted him to be my lawyer. I had a consultation and he made it clear that he doesn't take cases on contingencies but required a $5,000 retainer up front. I was willing and able to accept his terms and I had other cases that I was hoping he'd eventually help me with, although I did not sha...re this fact with him at the time. After the first consult he told me to send him my paperwork via Dropbox so he could take a closer look at my case and call me back, I did what he asked but he never contacted me. In the meantime I filed my own claim with the EEOC due to impending statute of limitation on my claim. I was told by subsequent lawyers that I should've had a lawyer draft/file it for legal reasons that ultimately caused me to drop my case. Months later, after I received the Right to Sue letter from the EEOC, I attempted to contact him again. It took him nearly two weeks to respond and that was the last I ever heard from him. I wasted so much time being patient and waiting on him that I had to scramble to find another lawyer. Other lawyers and firms gave me the courtesy of declining my case rather than stringing me along and then ghosting me. I'm disappointed because he was the first lawyer to contact me on Avvo--within minutes--and I really liked him when I met him and his awesome pup.

David Harley

Replied last May 29, 2018

HARLEY LAW, LLC, because this person did not state their name or truthful facts, I am not certain who this could be. However, there is only one person that this could be, if actually someone that contacted our office. A person who contacted me in December 2017 and indicated she had a wrongful termination case. I actually set up an appointment and met with this person and reviewed her position. However, I provided my opinion at that time that her case had no merit and that I could not ethically take it. She did not have any evidence to support her claim and she had only recently obtained the job. Thus, she had no damages as well. If this is the person, the only person it could be, she is misrepresenting the facts. I received an email from her in late April in which she indicated she had a right to sue letter from the EEOC, something that is almost always issued, despite merit. She says I did not respond to her. However, I have an email dated April 22 in which I, as a courtesy, asked her to send her right to sue letter and supporting documents as well as her complaint. She responded in an email, that I have, that she would send over. She never sent me any additional documents and I never heard from her again. I never set up a drop box as I only do that after clients hire me. Also, her information is incorrect as we do take contingency cases, from time-to-time, if the facts warrant such. Her cases did not. This person indicates that I never took the case, and if they actually consulted us, we did not take the case because he or she had no case and we did not have time. I I saved her a $5000.00 retainer by being up-front and truthful. No good deed goes unpunished.

See All Client Reviews

David Alan Harley's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse David
Dale Ernest Akins headshot
Dale Akins

Unknown lawyer | Feb 26

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"David is a very smart guy with a lot of enthusiam. Outstanding lawyer with a high level of skill and very ethical. I endorse this lawyer."

Michael S. Waddington headshot
Michael Waddington

Family lawyer | Jun 12

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse David. He is a highly skilled attorney that is well respected in the legal community."

J. Michael Harley headshot
J. Harley

Education lawyer | May 26

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I endorse this lawyer. David really knows education law. Very strategic and very oriented towards executing the strategy he agrees with his client."

View All Endorsements
Dale Ernest Akins headshot
Dale Akins

Personal injury lawyer

Experience

Rating:  3.0 (Caution)

Professional misconduct

This lawyer was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 2022.

Reprimand issued in NC, 2022

updated on 08/01/2025

Typically in this case the lawyer's poor behavior is exposed to the public in hopes that he or she will not repeat the behavior.

David’s comment:

“Reciprocal reporting from the SC Reprimand. All during a time attorney Harley became seriously ill and hospitalized in ICU and major lung surgery with ongoing complications that he has fully recovered.”

Public Reprimand issued in SC, 2022

updated on 08/01/2025

Public reprimand means an attorney did something wrong but may still practice law. The State gives the lawyer a public reprimand in hopes that he or she will not repeat the behavior. Details of the infraction are made part of the public record.

David’s comment:

“SC Reprimand. All during a time attorney Harley became seriously ill and hospitalized in ICU and major lung surgery with ongoing complications that he has fully recovered.”

Work Experience

2007 - 2019

Principal, Harley Law, LLC

2005 - 2007

Of Counsel, Scariano, Himes and Petrarca, Chtd

2001 - 2005

Of Counsel, Hinshaw & Culbertson, LLP

1999 - 2006

General Counsel, Special Education District of Lake County

1997 - 1999

Attorney, Scariano, Himes and Pertrarca

1996 - 1997

Clerk, United States District Court For The District Of South Carolina

Associations

2015 - Present

American Bar Association

Member

2005 - Present

Unites States Supreme Court Bar

Member

1997 - Present

South Carolina Bar Association

Member

1997 - Present

Illinois State Bar Association

Member

2003 - 2004

Board Of Trustees, Grace United Methodist Church

President

Sample of Legal Cases

AP v. Glenbrook North School District

Cert. Denied, Client Prevailed

See More Legal Cases

Education

1996

University of South Carolina School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

1988

Furman University

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Speaking Engagements

2018

IEP and 504 Plan Legal Workshop Special Education and 504 Plans

2017

IEP and 504 Plan Legal Workshop Special Education and 504 Plans

2004

Illinois Association of School Boards Joint Annual Conference 2004 Special Ed Cooperatives: Communication and Cooperation

Languages

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

Our Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.

What determines Avvo Rating?
  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
  • Legal thought leadership Publications, speaking engagements
  • Discipline
    This lawyer was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 2022
    Disciplinary information may not be comprehensive, or updated. We recommend that you always check a lawyer's disciplinary status with their respective state bar association before hiring them.
Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution