Administrative Law
We counsel Virginia school divisions each day on administration law compliance matters, including open records and meetings compliance, conflicts of interest, and public records management. Our experience includes:
- Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) including litigating claims for alleged violations
- Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA)
- School division governance, development of Board policies, Board bylaws and administrative regulations
- Interpreting and/or responding to subpoenas and court orders
- All forms of administrative hearings, including personnel grievance hearings, IDEA hearings, Section 504 hearings, and student discipline
- Internal investigations under Title IX, Title VI, the ADA, and Section 504
Construction Law
Our attorneys are experienced in the full range of construction law issues that affect local governments and other public bodies. We provide assistance in public procurement, drafting and reviewing contracts, financing public construction, PPEA guidelines and project support, and litigating claims and disputes regarding public projects.
Employment Law
Guiding public school divisions through the myriad employment laws that impact the workplace is an important part of our practice. We routinely handle employment contracts and represent school divisions in teacher and support staff statutory grievance proceedings, including before the Virginia Employment Commission and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. We also are experienced in counseling public schools on the Fair Labor Standards Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 and other state and federal laws relating to discrimination and accommodation, as well as civil rights, free speech, and state and federal constitutional law issues.
Finance Law
For more than 25 years, our attorneys have helped localities navigate complex financial matters. We regularly act as bond counsel for Virginia localities, school districts, regional authorities and commissions across the Commonwealth and have been involved in well over 1,500 financings totaling more than $4 billion in tax exempt and taxable borrowings.
Public Procurement Law
Our lawyers have extensive knowledge of State of Virginia procurement laws and regulations, including the Virginia Public Procurement Act. We often support public school boards in all aspects of governmental contracting, bidding, and procurement.
Special Education Law
Members of our School & Education law team focus specifically on special education law and support the majority of Virginia public school divisions with their special education legal needs. We assist school boards with every aspect of special education law, from compliance training and proactive prevention to providing legal support during IDEA and § 504 meetings. In addition, we regularly handle special education due process proceedings. Although we successfully resolve many cases through the required resolution sessions, mediation, or through direct negotiations with student/family counsel, we also argue these cases in administrative due process hearings, as well as in state and federal court.
Members of our team are regularly asked to speak about special education law issues before organizations including the National School Boards Association, the Virginia School Boards Association, the Virginia Council of Administrators of Special Education, and the LRP Media Group.
