School Law
School boards must exercise their responsibilities in an increasingly complex legal environment. Resources spent defending lawsuits against public schools are resources not available for the education of children. The National School Boards Association offers an array of resources that help school boards and school attorneys to understand this legal environment, to keep up to date with new and emerging legal developments, and to anticipate, prevent, and overcome legal challenges.
Resources
- School Law Issues
NSBA's School Law Issues pages provide online resources, news highlights, and summaries of court decisions and federal regulatory developments on a range of legal issues for public schools, as well as NSBA's amicus briefs. Most news items and recent cases are from NSBA's free weekly school law e-newsletter, Legal Clips.
- Federal Regulations
This section of NSBA's School Law website covers Federal Regulations affecting schools. Each item features a Legal Clips summary on the regulation with links to Federal Register notices, due dates for comments, effective dates, and, in some instances, NSBA comments or related articles. This service makes it easy to follow federal regulatory developments.
- eDocs Store
The NSBA Council of School Attorneys is pleased to provide immediate access to documents through its newest web enhancement. Choose your category, select the document you want to purchase, create your account, enter your credit card information, and the document will be immediately available for download and printing!
- Legal Clips
The National School Boards Association's Council of School Attorneys is offering Legal Clips via e-mail. This free service provides participants with weekly updates on interesting legal issues.
- NSBA Amicus Briefs
NSBA files more amicus briefs to the Supreme Court each year than all education associations combined. Both state and federal court briefs are available.
- Supreme Court
Learn about NSBA’s amicus and moot court programs for Supreme Court and lower court cases and information about Supreme Court cases relevant to school districts.
- School Law Subscribers
Are you keeping abreast of the latest developments in school law? Subscribe to the NSBA Council of School Attorneys on-line newsletter and receive a FREE CD-ROM of the compilation of the presentations given at the Council's Annual School Law Seminar.
- Find a School Attorney
NSBA Council of School Attorneys’ members have access to the collective wisdom of over 3,000 school law practitioners nationwide. Find a member of the Council through this easy to use on line directory. By using the directory, you agree to the terms and conditions.
- School Law Seminars & Conferences
Council of School Attorneys education programs are given by and for the school law practitioner. You are assured of the highest quality program. Sign up for a Council seminar today! Council seminars provide first rate continuing legal education (CLE).
- School Law Jobs
The National School Boards Association's Council of School Attorneys is pleased to provide listings of school law employment openings nationwide. COSA Members, Federation Members, and National Affiliate school districts can use this new service to post vacancies for school law practitioners.
- Careers in School Law
Is a career in School Law right for you? Most public school districts are multi-million dollar entities. The school attorney (whether in private practice or as an employee of the district) acts as corporate counsel, and advises the school board and the school administration on contract and general business affairs, human resource and collective bargaining issues, state and federal constitutional provisions, state and federal statutory issues, and case law that may impose liability on the school district.
- The Legal List: Top 10 Issues for Public Schools
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The cover story in the February 2009 issue of the American School Board Journal and an accompanying article on “Hiring an Attorney” presented the results of a survey of the NSBA Council of School Attorneys as to the most important legal issues confronting school districts today.
- About School Lawyers
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Excerpts from Selecting and Working with a School Attorney: A Guide for School Boards. Provides general information about the different facets of legal services to school boards, such as fee structures, the role of the school lawyer, and preventive law.
- Terms and Conditions - Find a School Attorney [HTML 1,761kb]