School superintendents, school board members, public school districts, and private and charter schools are finding themselves confronted with increasingly complex legal issues. With decades of experience and offices in five states and the District of Columbia, Faegre Baker Daniels provides comprehensive legal counsel.

Today's legal issues pose school officials with a myriad of unique situations. Sometimes they're caught between evolution vs. intelligent design, sex education vs. abstinence education and other controversial choices. The expansion of charter, magnet and home schools has provided additional challenges. When it comes to legal representation, you want to be counseled by professionals at the head of the class.

We pride ourselves in offering legal representation that is thoughtful, innovative and efficient. Our team advises and represents clients in a full scope of matters, including:

Employment

• Termination of tenured and tenure-track faculty
• Employee benefit issues, including development and administration of retirement and health and welfare benefit plans, and deferred compensation arrangements unique to tax-exempt or governmental employers — e.g., 403(b) plans or 457 plans
• Equal pay act claims and audits of pay practices
• Personnel policies and practices, including faculty handbooks
• Design and implementation of severance and early retirement arrangements
• Drafting of faculty and executive employment agreements
• Collective bargaining and teachers' union negotiations and arbitrations
• Advice on I-9 compliance procedures

Student Affairs

• Student discipline, academic sanctions and other student affairs issues
• IDEA and disabilities considerations
• Foreign travel programs
• Issues unique to online education programs
• FERPA, HIPAA and other privacy and student records laws
• Preparation of sexual harassment, sexual violence, sexual misconduct and student conduct policies and training materials

Finance and Administration

• Executive compensation
• Unrelated business income tax
• IRS audits
• Property tax exemption
• Bond counsel for financing projects
• Restricted gifts and endowment funds
• Disclosure obligations in fund-raising solicitations
• Deferred giving programs

Intellectual Property

Issues on trademarks, copyrights, website policies, software development and licensing, and online services such as online libraries, distance learning, alumnae directories, course registration testing and fundraising

Our Washington, D.C. office allows us access to the U.S. Department of Education and other educational institutions and associations located in the nation's capital. Additionally, partnership with FaegreBD Consulting provides guidance on federal, state and local government legislation — and the opportunity to advocate for improved laws and policies.