Our firm provides representation to public and private educational institutions, including school districts, BOCES, independent schools, libraries and educational foundations. Our attorneys act as general counsel, providing guidance and support on matters arising in the daily management of educational institutions and organizations, including:
- Policy review and development
- Special education
- Student discipline
- School transportation
- Civil rights issues
- Student residency
- First Amendment issues involving students and staff
- Employee discipline issues
- Bullying/Harassment, including the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) and federal anti-discrimination statutes
- The Open Meetings Law
- The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
- The Freedom of Information Law (FOIL)
- The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
- Staff Evaluation (APPR)
- The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)
- Tenure and seniority matters
- District elections
- Board of Education duties and obligations
- Fiscal and budgetary management and development
- Establishment of not-for-profit educational corporations
- Intergovernmental Agreements
- Capital improvement projects
- Trainings and presentations for Board Members, administrators, teachers and staff members on a variety of legal issues and preventative strategies
We also have significant experience defending our clients in a variety of school-related matters, such as:
- Special Education and Section 504 Due Process hearings, including appeals
- Discrimination investigations before the United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”)
- Appeals to the Commissioner of Education and Office of State Review
- Tax Certiorari proceedings
- Article 78 Proceedings
- Grievances and arbitration
- Public Employee Relations Board (“PERB”) hearings
- Negotiations and mediations
- Federal civil rights actions
- Construction litigation
Our firm also provides representation in areas of labor and employment for school districts, BOCES, independent schools, educational foundations and other private institutions. The vast body of law governing the relationships between employers and unions is often complex. The issues that can arise over the course of an employment relationship, as well as the laws that control how employers must treat employees, former employees, and applicants for employment, are numerous and ever changing. Our attorneys provide guidance and support to clients on matters such as:
- Collective bargaining negotiations
- Grievances and arbitration
- Negotiations, mediation and fact finding
- Policy and employee manual review
- Discrimination cases before the State Division of Human Rights and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- Claims before the National Labor Relations Board
- Federal and state employment discrimination claims
- Sexual harassment
- Employment contracts
- Employee discipline
- Separation/severance agreements
- Employee privacy issues
