Board Members, School Board Attorneys and Other School Leaders Learn Best Practices at NJSBA’s Fall School Law Forum

School board attorneys, legal professionals, school board members, administrators and other school leaders learned about a host of legal topics that affect the educational community at the New Jersey School Boards Association’s School Law Forum on Oct. 24 at the Atlantic City Convention Center.

Dr. Timothy Purnell, executive director and CEO of the NJSBA, welcomed attendees to the Law Forum, which capped off a week of festivities at Workshop.

Patrick Carigg, president of the New Jersey Association of School Attorneys and a partner at Lenox Law Firm; and Kathleen Asher, director of legal and labor relations at NJSBA, also welcomed attendees.

John Burns, senior legislative counsel at NJSBA, teamed up with Kathryn A. Whalen, legal counsel/HR at NJSBA, to provide a school law and legislative update.

David Disler of Porzio Bromberg & Newman; and Kasi Gifford of Cooper Levenson, delivered a presentation that focused on changes in the Open Public Records Act and what they mean for school districts.

Prior to lunch, attendees had the chance to attend a variety of breakout sessions, including:

• Public Schools or Public Squares: How to Navigate Student and Faculty Speech in These Challenging Times, which was presented by Adam Weiss of The Busch Law Group; Amy Houck-Elco of Cooper Levenson; and Dr. Rui Dionisio, superintendent of Fair Lawn School District.
• Legal and Practical Responses to School Staff Shortages, which was presented by Joseph Roselle of Schenck, Price, Smith & King.
• Screen Time Versus School Time: School District Cell Phone Use, Policies and Practical Suggestions, which was presented by Carigg and Christopher J. Sedefian of Schenck, Price, Smith & King.
• Special Education Hearings Post Settlement Agreement: Strategy Considerations, which was presented by R. Scott Eveland of Inglesino Taylor Attorneys at Law; Elesia James, assistant general counsel of Trenton Public Schools; Frances Febres of Cleary, Giacobbe, Alfieri, Jacobs; and Rachel E. Fairley of Porzio, Bromberg & Newman.
• Navigating New Jersey School Finance: Key Issues, Emerging Trends and Critical Considerations for Future Budgets, which was presented by Michael F. Kaelber, coordinator of continuing legal education and research at Legal One; Nick Mackres, school business administrator/board secretary at the Robbinsville Board of Education; and David G. Sciarra, of counsel at Genova Burns.

Two attorneys, John D. Wade of Wade, Long, Wood & Long and Arsen Zartarian of Cleary Giacobbe Alfieri Jacobs LLC, were honored with AMPSA’s Russell Weiss Distinguished Service Award. The award is given annually to one or more attorneys who have outstanding achievements in the practice of school law.

After lunch, attendees learned about threat assessment teams during a session delivered by Aron Mandel of The Busch Law Group; Jeff Gale, director of the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness at the New Jersey Department of Education; and Dr. Thomas Gambino with the Office of School Preparedness and Emergency Planning at the NJDOE.

The day concluded with a session presented by David B. Rubin of The Busch Law Group that explored legal ethics for school attorneys.