Atty. Elizabeth Kaleva
Elizabeth A. Kaleva is an attorney in Missoula, Montana, focusing her practice on representation of public and private school districts throughout the state of Montana, as well as the Montana High School Association.
Profile Summary
About Elizabeth Kaleva at a glance
Elizabeth Kaleva is a employment and education attorney based in Missoula, Montana, practicing at Kaleva Law Office. Educated at The University of Montana (J.D., 1995). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Education Law (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Employment Law - Management (2026), and Lawyer of the Year — Employment Law - Management (Missoula) (2025). Serands clients in Missoula, MT and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- Elizabeth A. Kaleva is an attorney in Missoula, Montana, focusing her practice on representation of public and private school districts throughout the state of Montana, as well as the Montana High School Association
- Bea graduated from Boston College in 1991, and the University of Montana School of Law in 1995
- After clerking for a year, Bea joined the Montana School Boards Association as a staff attorney
- She rose to the General Counsel position and remained with the MTSBA until 2003, when she returned to Missoula in private practice
- Bea serves as counsel for school districts in all areas of employment and school law
- Specific practice areas include: contract negotiations, employee misconduct and discipline, student misconduct and discipline, special education and federal programs, and Board of Trustees practice and procedure
- She provides litigation defense to school districts and their employees in federal and state courts, arbitrations, and administrative agencies relating to all aspects of school district operations
- Bea is admitted to practice before all Montana courts, the United States District Courts, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- She is a member of the American Bar Association, a former Board member of the National Council of School Attorneys and is the former President of the School Law Section of the Montana State Bar
- She has been selected by her peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America since 2014 for the areas of education law and employment law, and was named the Best Employment Law Lawyer for the Missoula area in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2023
Practice Areas Explained
Elizabeth Kaleva's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Elizabeth Kaleva handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Employment lawyers represent workers in wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, wage & hour disputes, and severance negotiations.
Elizabeth Kaleva is one of 169,120 employment attorneys indexed nationally. Browse employment attorneys in Montana →
Education attorneys for special education (IEP), school discipline, Title IX, and student rights.
Elizabeth Kaleva is one of 24,079 education attorneys indexed nationally. Browse education attorneys in Montana →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in Montana
Practicing law in Montana. Legal matters in Montana are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Missoula are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate Montana state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in Montana brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in Montana courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional Montana attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Missoula or all attorneys in Montana.
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