School Law Seminar

Fresh resources for school district legal counsel.

Legal advocacy sessions start Thursday

NSBA's Council of School Attorneys (COSA) is the national network of attorneys representing K-12 public school districts. Join Council Chair, Jay Worona, New York State School Boards Association, Chair-elect, Sam S. Harben, Jr., Harben & Hartley, A. Dean Pickett, Mangum, Wall, Stoops & Warden LLC, Vice-chair, and Thomas E. Wheeler II, Locke Reynolds LLP, Secretary for this premier Continuing Legal Education (CLE) event. Attorneys will earn 10 hrs. CLE, including 1 hr. of ethics. School leaders will also benefit from the practical legal information every administrator and board member needs to know.

Thursday, March 27

Networking Opportunities

9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
State Association Counsel Meeting

10:30 AM - 2:00 PM
In-House Counsel Luncheon & Discussion

Concurrent Early Birds & General Session

3:00 PM - 6:30 PM

• School District Business Issues, and Handling 403(b) and 409A Plans
  Heather Brickman & Barbara A. Erickson, Hodges, Loizzi, Eisenhammer, Rodick & Kohn, and Gregory J. Guercio, Law Offices of Guercio & Guercio
• Legal Research on the Internet & Council "Members Only" Web Resources
  Lisa Soronen, Senior Staff Attorney and Andrew Paulson, Council Webmaster, National School Boards Association
• Keeping Alive the Spirit of Brown v. Board of Education after the Seattle and Louisville Decisions
  Moderator: Deryl W. Wynn, Past Council Chair, McAnany, Van Cleave & Phillips
  Panelists: Anurima Bhargava, Director, Education Group, NAACP Legal Defense & Education Fund, Carl A. Gallagher, McAnany, Van Cleave & Phillips, and Roger Clegg, President and General Counsel, Center for Equal Opportunity.

Friday, March 28

Full Day of Programming, Luncheon & Reception

8:15 AM - 4:30 PM

• Aftermath of "Bong Hits" Case: Do School Districts Really Have More Authority Over Student Speech?
  Michael E. Smith, Lozano Smith
• A Board Policy Conundrum: Can Board Policy Create Liability?
  David R. Day & Seamus P. Boyce, Church, Church, Hittle & Antrim
• E-Discovery, Litigation Holds, and the Document Retention Plan: Avoiding Disaster in the School Environment
  Elizabeth Eynon-Kokrda, Baird Holm Law Firm
• Garcetti Has Some Punch! How to Use the New Decision to Win Free Speech Claims
  James B. Gessford & Gregory H. Perry, Perry, Guthery, Hasse & Gessford, P.C., L.L.C.
• Strategies to Reduce Attorney Fee Liability Under the Prevailing Party Standard
  Ryan L. Everhart, Hodgson Russ
• Legal Issues Surrounding Special Education and Transportation
  Edward A. Sullivan, III, Baker & Daniels and Mary Jo Dare, B&D Consulting
• Recent Development in Immigration Law: An Update for School Attorneys
  David Z. Izakowitz, McGuireWoods
• Ethics 2008: The Changing Role of the School Board Lawyer
  David B. Rubin, Past Council Chair, David B. Rubin, PC

Saturday, March 29

Morning General Sessions

8:15 AM - 10:40 AM

• COSA Business Meeting & Elections
• Threat Assessment, Crisis Response and Violence Prevention: Expected Challenges After Columbine and Virginia Tech
  W. Stuart Stuller and William J. Kowalski, Caplan & Earnest, and A. Dean Pickett, Council Vice-chair, Mangum, Wall, Stoops & Warden, P.L.L.C.
• An Update from the Courts
  Francisco M. Negrón, Jr., NSBA Associate Executive Director & General Counsel
• The Seminar will adjourn early so that registrants can attend the NSBA General Session Keynote Address by the Honorable Sandra Day O'Connor at the Orange County Convention Center (11:00 am - 12:30 pm)

All programming is hosted at the Royal Pacific Resort. To register, mark School Law Seminar on your NSBA Conference Registration Form and select the appropriate Conference fee. Friday luncheon ticket: add $45.

For complete program details, or to register for the School Law Seminar only, obtain a separate registration form at www.nsba.org/cosa or contact the Council at 703-838-6150. Ask about special rate for school district in house counsel.