Legally Speaking: Domestic Violence Victims are Focus of New Law
May 08, 2018
Just days before leaving office, and with little fanfare, then-Gov. Chris Christie signed a new law requiring all public employers, including all local school districts,…
Legally speaking
Legally Speaking: Amicus Curious
March 14, 2018
An integral part of NJSBA’s advocacy on behalf of its members is its participation as amicus curiae, or “friend of the court,” before the federal…
Legally Speaking: #MeToo in Schools
January 26, 2018
Amidst the growing list of perpetrators and victims sparked by the #MeToo movement, New Jersey school districts should revisit their current practices and policies to…
Legally Speaking: A New Ruling on Rice Notices
May 24, 2017
In February, in a ruling expected to impact local school boards, the state’s second-highest court ruled that employees and prospective employees are entitled to receive…
Legally Speaking: The Return of the Abbott Litigation
March 29, 2017
In September 2016, the New Jersey Commissioner of Education applied for an order modifying the New Jersey Supreme Court’s prior decisions in Abbott v. Burke,…
Legally Speaking: Showing Up
February 03, 2017
Eighty percent of life is showing up, according to a quote generally attributed to Woody Allen. In the context of board membership and board meetings,…
Legally Speaking: How to Successfully Navigate Your Board Through the Referendum Process
February 03, 2017
When school districts undertake new capital projects, such as building a new school or an addition to an existing building, more often than not, they…
Legally Speaking: Board Interview Committees – How Far Can They Go?
June 21, 2016
Board of education interview committees are an interesting phenomenon. It is beyond dispute that the superintendent is the personnel gatekeeper. As per statute (N.J.S.A. 18A:27-4.1),…
Legally Speaking: Schools, Religion and the Law
February 09, 2016
Although it has been more than a half century since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down school-sponsored prayer, controversies concerning religion in the public schools…
Legally Speaking: Recent School Law Decisions
February 09, 2016
Each year, school district policies are shaped by legal decisions by state and federal courts, the state’s education commissioner and other administrative agencies. Here are…