Governance
The firm is actively involved with the governing bodies of local
governmental entities, including school boards and administration,
advising and assisting in governance matters. Attorneys frequently
review board agendas to ensure compliance with all legal
requirements and attend or participate in board meetings. We supply
counsel on matters involving compliance with the Texas Open
Meetings Act, the Texas Public Information Act, grievance
procedures, contract negotiations, nonrenewal proceedings,
employment and terminations and discipline hearings.
In the school law arena, members of the firm often are enlisted
to review and comment upon policies before they are issued by the
TASB Policy Service, and, on occasion, we provide alternative
policy language to what TASB Policy Service provides.
Many clients rely on the firm's Model Student Code of
Conduct, Extracurricular Code of Conduct, and Model Student
Handbook to meet legal requirements and communicate effectively
with students and parents on these topics. Personnel
management is made easier with our Model Employee Handbook,
Employee Contract Package, a Preventing Sexual Harassment video
made for schools, and our Workbook for Substitute Teachers,
Mid-Year Hires, and Volunteers.
Although all of our attorneys work daily with the administrative
staffs of our clients, our true client is the board. Through our
accredited trainings for school board members and attendance at
board meetings for various governmental entities, we strive to
educate our clients on governance matters and policy, and steer
them clear of potential pitfalls and legal compromises. We know it
is not always easy for board members to keep up with the law, so we
publish a Trustee Manual and President's Pocket Guide not only to
assist board members in understanding their duties and
responsibilities but also to provide a useful and practical guide
when deliberating issues. We also provide our clients with Board
Minutes, our monthly publication on timely topics for school
boards.
Our firm also provides legal opinions, policy and procedure
audits, and counsel on election laws, intergovernmental agreements,
and governmental immunity.
