Bio

An accomplished clinical teacher and litigator, William Koski (PhD ’03) is the founder and director of the law school’s Youth and Education Law Project (YELP). He has also taught multidisciplinary graduate seminars and courses in educational law and policy.

Professor Koski and YELP have represented hundreds of children, youth, and families in special education, student discipline, and other educational rights matters. Professor Koski has also served as lead counsel or co-counsel in several path-breaking complex school reform litigations including Robles-Wong v. California, that sought to reform the public school finance system in the state; Emma C. v. Eastin, that has restructured the special education service delivery system in a Bay Area school district and aims to reform the California Department of Education’s special education monitoring system; Smith v. Berkeley Unified School District, that successfully reformed the school discipline policies in Berkeley, CA; and Stephen C. v. Bureau of Indian Education, that seeks to hold the federal Bureau of Indian Education accountable for their failure to provide children in the Havasupai Native American tribe in Arizona with an adequate and equitable education.

Reflecting his multidisciplinary background as a lawyer and social scientist, Professor Koski’s scholarly work focuses on the related issues of educational accountability, equity and adequacy; the politics of educational policy reform; teacher employment policies; and judicial decision-making in educational policy reform litigation.

Before joining the Stanford Law School faculty in 2001, Professor Koski was a lecturer in law at Stanford and a supervising attorney at the law school’s East Palo Alto Community Law Project. He was also an associate at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe and then Alden, Aronovsky & Sax.

Professor Koski has an appointment (by courtesy) with the Stanford School of Education.

Academic Appointments

Administrative Appointments

  • Member, Academic Council, Stanford University (2019 - Present)

Program Affiliations

  • Public Policy

Contact

  • Academic
    bkoski@stanford.edu
    University - Faculty Department: Law School Position: Professor-Teaching

Additional Info

  • Mail Code: 8610
  • Other Names:
    Bill Koski

Research Interests

  • Leadership and Organization
  • Legal Issues
  • Special Education

2024-25 Courses

All Publications

  • BEYOND DOLLARS? THE PROMISES AND PITFALLS OF THE NEXT GENERATION OF EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS LITIGATION COLUMBIA LAW REVIEW Koski, W. S. 2017; 117 (7): 1897–1931

    View details for Web of Science ID 000426331400007

  • Keeping Sight of the Forest Through the Trees: Response to "Collective Bargaining, Transfer Rights, and Disadvantaged Schools" EDUCATIONAL EVALUATION AND POLICY ANALYSIS Koski, W. S., Horng, E. L. 2014; 36 (1): 112-119

    View details for Web of Science ID 000332526400006

  • FACILITATING THE TEACHER QUALITY GAP? COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS, TEACHER HIRING AND TRANSFER RULES, AND TEACHER ASSIGNMENT AMONG SCHOOLS IN CALIFORNIA EDUCATION FINANCE AND POLICY Koski, W. S., Horng, E. L. 2007; 2 (3): 262-300

    View details for Web of Science ID 000208268200003

  • What educational resources do students need to meet California's educational content standards? A textual analysis of California's educational content standards and their implications for basic educational conditions and resources TEACHERS COLLEGE RECORD Koski, W. S., Weis, H. A. 2004; 106 (10): 1907-1935

    View details for Web of Science ID 000224025300002

  • The politics of judicial decision-making in educational policy reform litigation HASTINGS LAW JOURNAL Koski, W. S. 2004; 55 (5): 1077-?

    View details for Web of Science ID 000225045000002