Leadership in legal advocacy for public schools

NSBA Council of School Attorneys’(COSA) 2012 School Law Seminar

Held in Conjunction with NSBA’s 72nd Annual Conference & Exposition

Registration Now Open!

The NSBA Housing Bureau opens for hotel reservations on November 1, 2011.

Overview

The 2012 School Law Seminar offers a new compressed schedule designed just for busy professionals… networking and discussion sessions begin on Thursday, April 19…CLE programming begins on Friday, April 20! COSA is constantly evolving to meet the needs of its national network of attorneys representing K-12 public school districts. Join COSA Chair, Patrice McCarthy, Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, COSA Chair-elect, Elizabeth Eynon-Kokrda , Baird Holm L.L.P., and the 2012 School Law Seminar Committee* for this PREMIER Continuing Legal Education (CLE) event.

With the new schedule, attorneys will earn up to10 hrs. CLE, including 1 hr. of ethics, in just a day and a half. School leaders will also benefit from the practical legal information every administrator and board member needs to know. Your registration includes two continental breakfasts, breaks, Friday reception and a boxed lunch on Saturday.

About Council Membership

get more info

Leadership in legal advocacy for public schools is the mission of the NSBA Council of School Attorneys. Exceptional legal representation for public school districts over the long term reduces the impact of adverse legal decisions on the resources of this nation's schools. Over 3,000 members strong, the Council was formed in 1967 to provide information and practical assistance to attorneys who represent public school districts.

COSA has a financial hardship policy.

Schedule at a Glance

Thursday, April 19
12 NOON – 7:00 PM Registration
11:00 AM – 4:00 PM State Association Counsel Luncheon Meeting
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM In House Counsel Discussion Meeting
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM Early Bird Concurrent Sessions
EVENING “Dine Around Boston”

Friday, April 20
7:30 AM – 4:30 PM Registration & Continental Breakfast
8:00 AM – 12:20 PM Opening General Session
12:20 PM – 1:30 PM Lunch on Your Own
1:30 PM – 4:30 PM Concurrent Afternoon Sessions
4:45 PM – 6:00 PM Reception

Saturday, April 21
7:30 AM—3:00 PM Registration & Continental Breakfast
8:15 AM – 9:00 AM COSA Business Meeting & Elections
9:00 AM – 12NOON Morning General Session
12 Noon – 1:00 PM Boxed Lunch Served
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM Closing General Session get more info

*2012 School Law Seminar Committee: Chair Elizabeth Eynon-Kokrda, Lisa Brown, Gregory J. Guercio, Alissa Ocasio, Pilar Sokol, Allison Brown Schafer, Maurice A. Watson, and Patrice McCarthy.

Faculty Bios (Scroll with Arrows)

  • Francisco M. Negrón, Jr.

    Join NSBA General Counsel Francisco M. Negrón, Jr. who provides leadership for NSBA’s amicus program and 3,000 member Council of School Attorneys for a survey of the NSBA legal advocacy agenda. Learn about the High Court’s landmark ruling on tuition tax credits and about recent federal court trends in student cyber-speech.

  • Sonja Trainor

    Sonja Trainor, Senior Staff Attorney, National School Boards Association, will present with Little on school district liability for peer bullying and harassment. She received her J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law.

  • Shelli L. Anderson

    Shelli L. Anderson, Partner, Franczek Radelet, (IL) will present with Fattore Crumley on essential questions and answers about a teacher’s fitness for duty under the amended ADA. She received her J.D. with honors from Loyola University School of Law.

  • Dorothy Bollinger

    Dorothy Bollinger, President, The Bollinger Law Firm, LLC (PA) and Adjunct Professor Temple University’s Beasley School of Law where she received her J.D. She will provide an April 2012 technology law update. In addition to her law practice, she teaches cyber-privacy, cyber-law and policy, and practical applications in organizational settings.

  • Grant Bowers

    Grant Bowers is Counsel to the Toronto District School Board, Ontario, Canada where he represents the school board in labor arbitrations, administrative tribunals as well as civil and quasi-criminal proceedings. Mr. Bowers received his law degree from Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario.

  • Lisa A. Brown

    Lisa A. Brown, Founding Partner, Thompson & Horton, LLP (TX), and COSA board member, will be a panelist along with Ferrara, Ocassio, & Wilson to discuss testing irregularities and how to protect school districts under school reform. She received her J.D. with honors from the University of Texas School of Law.

  • Paul Cady

    Paul Cady serves as General Counsel for Anoka-Hennepin School District in Minnesota representing the district in all aspects of education law including employment and labor relations, student issues, and collective bargaining negotiations. Mr. Cady is Past-President of the North American Association of Educational Negotiators and has also served on the board of the Minnesota Council of School Attorneys. He received his law degree from William Mitchell College of Law.

  • Sara C. Clark

    Sara C. Clark is Deputy Director of Legal Services for the Ohio School Boards Association. Prior to joining the Ohio School Boards Association, she worked with the Ohio Department of Administrative Services’ Office of Policy Development. Ms. Clark received her law degree from Capital University Law School.

  • J. Stephen Cowles

    J. Stephen Cowles is Associate General Counsel and lead attorney for special education matters with Baltimore County Public Schools in Maryland. In that position, Mr. Cowles handles due process hearings, investigates Office for Civil Rights complaints, conducts staff training, and attends IEP team meetings. He received his law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law.

  • Dana Fattore Crumley

    Dana Fattore Crumley, Partner, Franczek Radelet, (IL) will present with Anderson on essential questions and answers about a teacher’s fitness for duty under the amended ADA. She received her J.D. from Loyola University School of Law.

  • Frederick L. Dorsey

    Frederick L. Dorsey, Partner, Siegel, O’Connor, O’Donnell & Beck, PC (CT), will present with Murphy on First Amendment and use of school facilities by religious groups. He received his J.D. from Western New England College School of Law.

  • Benjamin J. Ferrara

    Benjamin J. Ferrara, Partner, Ferrara, Fiorenza, Larrison, Barrett & Reitz, P.C. (NY) and Past COSA Chair, will serve on the panel with Wilson, Ocassio, and Brown to discuss preventing testing irregularities and how to protect school districts under school reform. He received his J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law.

  • Gregory J. Guercio

    Gregory J. Guercio, Founding Partner, Guercio & Guercio, LLP (NY) and COSA Secretary, is the moderator for the Saturday afternoon session on preventing testing irregularities. He received his J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law.

  • Dr. Judy Hackett

    Dr. Judy Hackett, Superintendent, Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization, has served in administrative roles in special education for over 20 years. She will present with Thomas & Rodick on response to intervention (RtI) implementation.

  • Stacy L. Haney

    Stacy L. Haney is an associate in the Richmond, Virginia office of Reed Smith where she focuses her practice primarily on labor and employment law, education law, and commercial litigation. Ms. Haney has represented school boards in a variety of litigation involving constitutional, employment and tort law. She received her law degree from William and Mary School of Law.

  • Michael J. Julka

    Michael J. Julka is chair of the school, municipal, labor & employment team of Boardman & Clark, LLP (WI), and lead counsel for the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, Inc. and many school district clients. He will present on the applicability of the 4th, 5th & 6th amendments to the investigations of employee misconduct. He received his J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School, cum laude.

  • James A. Keith

    James A. Keith, Partner & Labor & Employment Team Leader, Adams and Reese LLP (MS), will lead a discussion on the crucial issues that Congress must address when the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is reauthorized. He received his J.D. from the University of Mississippi School of Law.

  • Nancy Fredman Krent

    Nancy Fredman Krent is a partner with the Chicago, Illinois law firm of Hodges, Loizzi, Eisenhammer, Rodick & Kohn where she concentrates her practice in school law, with special emphasis on litigation, special education, employment discrimination and other personnel matters. Ms. Krent is a Past Chair of the NSBA Council of School Attorneys. She received her law degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Michigan.

  • D. Patrick Lacy, Jr.

    D. Patrick Lacy, Jr., Partner, Reed Smith, LLP (VA) and former COSA board member, will join Haney and Mushahwar to present on data security in schools with an emphasis on ensuring compliance and minimizing risk in the era of “cloud computing.” He received his L.L.B. from the University of Richmond.

  • Anne H. Littlefield

    Anne H. Littlefield, Partner & co-leader school law practice group, Shipman & Goodwin LLP (CT), will present with Trainor on school district liability for peer bullying and harassment. She received her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

  • Wendy Lopez

    Wendy Lopez is Associate Counsel with Toronto District School Board, Ontario, Canada where she advises and represents the Board primarily on administrative, education, labor, student discipline and human rights matters with a special interest in social media, internet and technology. Ms. Lopez received her law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School.

  • Daniel P. Murphy

    Daniel P. Murphy is an attorney with the Hartford, Connecticut law firm of Kainen, Escalera & McHale, PC where he practices in all aspects of labor, employment, education and business related immigration law and represents private and public sector employers in labor and employment law matters before state and federal courts, arbitration panels and administrative agencies. Mr. Murphy received his law degree from Seton Hall University.

  • Amy S. Mushahwar

    Amy S. Mushahwar is an attorney in the Washington, DC office of Reed Smith where she is a member of the firm's Advertising, Technology & Media Group and concentrates her practice in the areas of media, privacy, data security and emerging technologies. Ms. Mushahwar received her law degree, magna cum laude, from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law.

  • Alissa Ocasio

    Alissa Ocasio is Legal Advisor to the Boston Public Schools where she serves as part of the management team for the City of Boston’s Corporation Counsel charged with representing the City of Boston and its various departments. Ms. Ocasio received her law degree from Suffolk University Law School.

  • Jollee Patterson

    Jollee Patterson has served as the General Counsel and Board Secretary for Portland Public Schools for over 12 years. Portland Public Schools is the largest school district in the Pacific Northwest, serving over 45,000 students. Ms. Patterson received her law degree from the UCLA School of Law, where she was a founding editor of the UCLA Women's Law Journal.

  • Thomas E. Perez

    Thomas E. Perez, nominated by President Obama to serve as the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, was sworn in on October 8, 2009. Since then, Mr. Perez has worked to restore and transform the Division, in the spirit of its traditional role as the “conscience of the nation,” to further fulfill the promise of our nation’s most treasured laws – advancing equal opportunity, leveling the playing field, and protecting the rights of all.

  • Justino D. Petrarca

    Justino D. Petrarca is a principal with the Chicago, Illinois law firm of Scariano, Himes & Petrarca where he concentrates his practice on labor negotiations, labor relations law and school desegregation. He is a COSA Director and chair of COSA’s Labor Relations Committee and 2012 School Law Practice Seminar Committee. Mr. Petrarca received his law degree from John Marshall Law School.

  • Mike Porter

    Mike Porter is an attorney in the employment law and labor relations and education law practice groups of the Portland, Oregon law firm of Miller Nash. He regularly defends class-action wage-and-hour claims, employment discrimination claims and constitutional claims asserted against public entities. Mr. Porter received his law degree from the University of Kansas.

  • Bennett Rodick

    Bennett Rodick is a partner with the Arlington Heights, Illinois law firm of Hodges, Loizzi, Eisenhammer Rodick & Kohn where he concentrates his practice in employment discrimination, personnel issues, special education and school reorganization. Mr. Rodick received his law degree from Washington University School of Law.

  • Vanessa M. Sheehan

    Vanessa M. Sheehan, Guercio & Guercio, LLP (NY), will be a discussion leader for the early bird session on the status of third party payments to defray the cost of special education services. She is a past president of the New York State Association of School Attorneys and received her J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law.

  • Pilar Sokol

    Pilar Sokol is Deputy General Counsel to the New York State School Boards in Latham, New York where she lectures for the association and other organizations on legal issues affecting public education. Ms. Sokol received her law degree from Albany Law School where she was a member of the Albany Law Review.

  • Leslie R. Stellman

    Leslie R. Stellman, Member, Hodes Pessin & Katz , P.A.(MD), will lead a discussion on trends in school reform affecting bargaining. He received his J.D. from Syracuse University School of Law, summa cum laude, and represents many of Maryland’s public school systems as well as the Naval Academy and the University of Maryland.

  • Tim Thomas

    Dr. Tim Thomas is the Superintendent of the Northern Suburban Special Education District in Highland Park, Illinois, a special education joint agreement cooperative consisting of eighteen school districts. He is the President of the North Cook County Illinois Association of School Administrators and Legislative Chairperson for the Illinois Alliance of Administrators of Special Education.

  • Elizabeth B. Valerio

    Elizabeth B. Valerio is principal in the Boston, Massachusetts law firm of Deutsch Williams Brooks DeRensis & Holland where she focuses her practice on public and private sector management-side labor and employment law and in school law. Ms. Valerio is a COSA Director and received her law degree, magna cum laude, from Suffolk University Law School.

  • Robert E. Wilson

    Robert E. Wilson is a founding member and partner with the Decatur, Georgia law firm of Wilson, Morton & Downs, LLC where he concentrates his practice in the areas of general civil litigation, business litigation, criminal law, personal injury, administrative law, education law, government relations and corporate and government investigations. Mr. Wilson received his law degree from Emory University School of Law.

  • Jay Worona

    Jay Worona is General Counsel of the New York State School Boards Association. He successfully served as counsel of record for the Respondents in Board of the Kiryas Joel Village School District v. Grumet, and counsel for the Watervliet City School District in Russman v. Watervliet. Mr. Worona is a Past Chair of the NSBA Council of School Attorneys. He received his law degree from Albany Law School of Union University.