Event Overview

Held adjacent to our Annual Conference in St. Louis, the program includes a one-and-a-half day, in-person intensive beginning Tuesday, October 13, plus a live webinar several weeks in advance to introduce key concepts, answer questions, and prepare participants for the experience.

Through realistic scenarios, hands-on simulations, case discussions, and practical exercises, participants will build confidence in tackling the legal issues school attorneys face every day. Attendees will receive a bundle of outlines, case summaries, and practice tools, creating a starter toolkit they can use immediately in their work.

The program concludes with a joint lunch and candid conversation with members of the NSAA Board of Directors, who will share practical lessons and insights in a session, What I Wish I Knew Then.

NSAA's School Law Boot Camp takes place at the Drury Plaza at the Arch, in conjunction with the Fourth Annual Conference. Hotel information and Cancellation policy are available on the conference page.

Attorneys New to the Practice of School Law

You can register for the School Law Boot Camp + the NSAA Annual Conference, and earn up to 15 hours of Continuing Legal Education credit for under $1000! Check out the School Law Boot Camp + Annual Conference registration rates below.

Register Today!

Lessons From the Field: What Seasoned School Lawyers Wish They Had Known Earlier

Featured Wrap-Up Session

October 14th 12:15 PM - 1:30 PM

This session focuses on practical lessons about the realities of school law practice that many attorneys only learn after time in the field. Through examples and short scenarios, presenters will discuss the institutional dynamics, communication challenges, and strategic judgment calls that shape effective legal advising in schools. Topics might include the law as one of many factors in decision-making, the speed with which administrators and boards often want answers, how small interactions can escalate into major issues (and how to help prevent it), how communication style (both from lawyer to client and from client to students, parents, etc.) affects relationships, the importance of an attorney’s credibility and reputation, the pressures of public scrutiny, and the importance of mission on decision-making.

Panel:

Jim Walsh, Walsh Gallegos (TX)

Tiffany Richardson, Richland County School District One (SC)

Doug Thorne, Elkhart Community Schools (IN)

Lynn Himes, Himes, Petrarca & Fester (IL)

Schedule

Tuesday, Day One - October 13th

Morning

9:00 AM - 9:30 AM

Welcome and Program Overview

Introductions and overview of the program structure, expectations, goals for the boot camp, and facilitators and participants. 

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM 

Session 1 – Advising the Institution: Governance, Client Identity, and Internal Conflicts

This session explores the legal and practical challenges that arise inside school systems before disputes become external conflicts. Presenters will examine who the client is in a public-school setting, how attorneys navigate board–administrator relationships, and how governance dynamics, transparency laws, and public scrutiny influence legal advice. The discussion will also address the school attorney's role, including the differences between inside and outside counsel.

Subject areas: Ethics, Open Meetings, Freedom of Information Act Requests

Instructors:
Nicki Bazer, Franczek (IL)
Melanie Keeney, Tueth Keeney (MO)

10:30 - 10:45 AM

Break

10:45 - 11:45 AM

Session 2 – The Business of Schools: Contracts, Operations, and Managing Institutional Risk

School attorneys regularly advise on operational and business decisions that can expose the school to significant legal risk. This session addresses how legal counsel supports school business functions, including negotiating contracts, allocating risk, and helping administrators understand how operational decisions can affect liability and compliance.

Subject Areas: Contracts and Procurement, Federal Regulations, Federal Funding and its Strings

Instructor:
Santana Flanigan, Rockdale County Public Schools (GA)

 

11:45 AM - 12:45 PM

Lunch provided

Afternoon

12:45 - 2:15 PM 

Session 3 – Student Rights in Public Schools: Constitutional and Statutory Protections and Distinct Protections for Students with Disabilities

Students sit at the center of the public school mission, which means that questions about student rights arise in nearly every area of school law practice. This session will provide a practical overview of the legal framework governing student rights in public schools, focusing primarily on the distinct statutory protections afforded to students with disabilities. The instructors will examine how general constitutional principles interact with federal laws such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Through common school-based scenarios, the session will highlight how these protections affect discipline, access to educational services, and decision making by school officials, helping attorneys better advise school districts when student rights and school operations intersect.

Instructors:
Kaitlin Atlas and Jennifer Smith,  Franczek (IL)

2:15 - 2:30 PM

Break

2:30 - 4:00 PM

Session 4 – Employee Rights and Managing Conflicts Between Student and Employee Protections

Schools frequently face situations in which legal obligations to students and employees intersect. This session examines how civil rights and constitutional requirements, employment and student protections, and student and employee discipline rules interact, and how attorneys help school leaders navigate situations where safety concerns, staff rights, and student protections must be balanced.

Subject areas: Employee Rights, Student Rights, Students with Disabilities

Instructors: 
Sara Boucek and Shane Jones, F3 Law (IL)

4:00 - 6:30 PM 

Break

6:30 PM 

Dinner offsite provided

Wednesday, Day Two - October 14th

Morning

9:00 AM - 10:30 AM 

Session 5 – Say What? The First Amendment in Schools

This session focuses on the constitutional challenges that arise when students or employees engage in protected speech. Presenters will explore how First Amendment principles apply in school settings, including issues involving social media, controversial speech, religious rights, and the tension between school authority and individual expression.

Instructors: 
Andrew Manna and Jessica L. Billingsley, Church Church Hittle & Antrim (IN)

10:30 - 10:45 AM

Break

10:45 AM - 12:15 PM 

Session 6 – When School Conflicts Leave the Building: Litigation, Administrative Hearings, and Investigations

The final session addresses what happens when school disputes move from internal concerns into formal legal proceedings. Presenters will discuss how investigations are conducted, how administrative hearings and complaints work, and how school attorneys prepare institutions to respond effectively when disputes reach state or federal courts.

Subject areas: Students with Disabilities, Student Rights, Employee Rights

Instructor: 
David Garner, Osbron Maledon (AZ)

Afternoon

12:15 - 1:30 PM 

Lunch with the NSAA Board +Panel Presentation

Attendees and instructors will celebrate the conclusion of the inaugural program by enjoying lunch with the National School Attorneys Association Board of Directors, and a candid, practical talk by school law veterans.