About Kendra Yoch 

Legal Assistant: Amanda Zimmer | 972-964-3314 | azimmer@thompsonhorton.com

Kendra brings a deeply practical, student-centered approach to school law that is rooted in personal and professional experience. As a former special education teacher and the daughter of a special educator, Kendra has dedicated her career to advocating for educational institutions. She understands the daily operational realities school leaders face, and takes pride in providing clear, actionable counsel so educators can focus on supporting their students and communities.

Partnering with public school districts, charter schools, and higher education institutions, Kendra assists clients with complex student issues, focusing on special education, Section 504, Title IX, and civil rights compliance. She has advised and represented school districts and colleges across Texas and Illinois, as well as served in the General Counsel’s Office for the District of Columbia Public Schools.

Kendra regularly supports IEP and Section 504 teams and represents educational institutions in administrative complaints before the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and state educational agencies. A skilled dispute resolution advocate and litigator, Kendra serves as lead counsel in special education mediations and due process hearings. She recently secured a victory for a school district in a “child find” due process dispute, successfully defending the district at the administrative hearing level, in federal district court, and ultimately before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit when the parent appealed.

Kendra also has experience guiding a large school district through a high-profile, multi-stakeholder special education state corrective action matter. Recently, Kendra assisted a community college in successfully responding to an OCR complaint regarding website accessibility and bringing its online platforms into full legal compliance.

In addition to her special education practice, Kendra is a trusted advisor on Title IX compliance, regularly guiding K-12 districts and higher education institutions through complex sex discrimination and sexual harassment matters. She routinely counsels and advises Title IX coordinators on when and how to navigate the formal grievance process, from initial report through final resolution. Kendra reviews and revises institutional policies and procedures to ensure full compliance with evolving federal regulations. She also serves institutions directly in neutral, third-party roles—acting as an independent investigator, Title IX decision-maker, appeal decision-maker, and appointed Title IX advisor. A sought-after educator for school administrators, Kendra regularly conducts comprehensive Title IX team trainings and compliance workshops across the country.

A respected voice in the legal and educational communities, Kendra frequently presents at state, regional, and national special education conferences on emerging issues, including the intersection of Title IX and special education, artificial intelligence in special education, and practical dispute prevention.

Prior to joining Thompson & Horton in Dallas, Kendra spent a decade representing school districts and educational entities across Illinois. Her career in school law began in the General Counsel’s Office for District of Columbia Public Schools, where she managed hundreds of special education due process complaints. Before law school, Kendra taught 7th and 8th grade special education reading and language arts in Houston ISD as a Teach for America corps member.

Kendra’s dedication and discipline extend well beyond the courtroom. A former Division I collegiate swimmer, she represented the United States at the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia, bringing home four silver medals. Today, Kendra and her husband swim on a local masters team and enjoy passing on their love of the water to their two young children.

 

Education

J.D., magna cum laude, Georgetown University Law Center, 2007 

M.Ed., University of St. Thomas, 2004 

B.A., cum laude, Davidson College, 2002 (economics) 

 

Licensing & Court Admissions

Licensed in the states of Texas and Illinois and the District of Columbia 

US District Court for the Northern Western, and Southern Districts of Texas and the 5th Circuit 

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois 

 

UPCOMING & RECENT TRAININGS

 

REPRESENTATIVE SPEECHES & PRESENTATIONS