Shipman & Goodwin is recognized nationally for the depth and breadth of our education practice. Our school law attorneys represent over 125 local and regional public school districts, including charter schools and magnet schools; more than 30 independent schools, including Montessori schools, Waldorf schools, and religiously affiliated schools; and 20 public and private colleges and universities, including professional schools, medical schools, research universities, and performing and visual arts schools throughout Connecticut, the Northeast and nationally.
We understand the unique and often sensitive issues faced by educational institutions. Our attorneys pay particular attention to how such issues affect a school’s relationship with its students, parents, faculty, staff and the community. We stand ready to counsel school officials on these matters and others, ranging from governance to crisis management, utilizing our extensive experience in school law to provide high-quality legal assistance promptly and cost-effectively.
We represent educational institutions in matters including:
- ADA accommodations and claims
- Admissions and enrollment
- Board governance
- Bullying
- Business contracts and procurement
- Charitable giving and contributions
- Clery Act compliance
- Collective bargaining, grievance arbitration and other labor matters
- Construction and real estate matters
- Crisis management
- Cybersecurity and data breaches
- Discrimination, harassment, bullying and hazing
- Employee benefits matters
- Employment counseling and employment discrimination claims
- Environmental
- Faculty and student relations
- FERPA compliance
- Finance and investments
- Formations, consolidations and spin-offs
- Free speech issues
- Freedom of information and student records
- Governance policies
- Immigration
- Intellectual property
- International travel / field trips
- Investigations
- Risk management
- Search and seizure
- Section 504
- Sexual harassment prevention and reporting
- Social media
- Special education
- Student conduct
- Student discipline and student rights
- Student, faculty, and employee handbooks
- Student health issues and disabilities
- Student publications
- Student safety
- Tax and tax exemption
- Tenure proceedings and appeals
- Title IX and Title VI
- Trustee confidentiality agreements
- Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act (UPMIFA)
Our attorneys regularly conduct onsite trainings on matters relating to:
- ADA and accommodations
- Avoiding, responding to and investigating discrimination claims, including Title IX, sexual harassment and protected class harassment
- Bullying prevention and intervention
- Data security and regulations compliance
- Effective response to sexual violence claims
- Risk assessment and management
- Sexual assault /harassment prevention and response
- Mandated reporting and professional boundaries
- Social media use by students and faculty
Sessions are tailored for each client, and customizable to meet the school’s needs. For details about our custom programs or to schedule your onsite training, visit our Onsite Client Training page.
As an added resource for our clients, we have established www.ctschoollaw.com, a minisite dedicated to presenting the latest developments in school law.
Our school law attorneys are often asked to make presentations at conferences sponsored by various regional and national professional education organizations and associations, including the National Association of Independent Schools, the National Association of College and University Attorneys, the Association of Independent Schools in New England, the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools, the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents, the Connecticut Association of Schools, the Connecticut Association of School Business Officials and the Connecticut Council of Independent Colleges. Our attorneys are active members of the National School Boards Association, as well as the Connecticut and Massachusetts Councils of School Attorneys. In addition, our attorneys contribute to a variety of education-related publications. For example, School Law Practice Group Co-Chair, Thomas B. Mooney, is the author of A Practical Guide to Connecticut School Law, currently in the 8th Edition (2014), the only treatise available on Connecticut public school law.
