Purpose. The article identifies systemic problems in the legal status of subjects of expert activity in the Russian education system and substantiates the institutionalization of pedagogical expertise as an independent institute of educational law. Methodology. The research is based on formal legal, systemic, comparative legal and doctrinal methods. The theoretical part is strengthened by recent publications on psychological and pedagogical expertise, expertise as professional activity, textbook evaluation, forensic expertology and anti-corruption expertise. Results. The study shows that regulation remains fragmented: the law establishes separate types of expertise but does not form a unified model of expert competence, independence, liability and procedural verifiability. Scientific novelty. The article proposes author definitions of pedagogical expertise, expert activity in education and the legal status of an expert, as well as a framework model for institutionalizing pedagogical expertise. Practical significance. The results may be used to improve legal regulation of expert activity, expert registers, expert opinions and conflict-of-interest prevention mechanisms.