The Clark Law Education Team offers school districts extensive knowledge and expertise in all phases of education law, Human Resource management and labor relations. Our team brings not only legal expertise, but real world, in-district experience in Human Resources management, crisis management, day-to-day district operations and Board agenda and resolution preparation. We handle employment concerns, including employee leaves, progressive discipline, non-renewals and reductions in force (RIF), student discipline and Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying (HIB) matters. We bring expertise in advisory and counseling services matters, including student and staff discipline, employment practices, policy drafting and implementation, labor negotiations and collective bargaining contract interpretation. 

Our team is skilled at conducting at-the-table negotiations of collective bargaining agreements on behalf of the Board.  We assist in preparing proposals, providing analyses of existing agreements and lead negotiations sessions, as well as Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) mediation fact-finding sessions. We respond to grievances and other labor disputes at the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC). We appear before the School Ethics Commission, the Government Records Council, and the Office of Administrative Law.

We review and draft student and employee handbooks, employment contracts, settlement agreements, in-district forms, and policies and procedures.

We are available to attend all regular and special meetings of our clients. We advise and draft Board resolutions, advise on voting matters and Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) requirements and can assist in responding to Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. We stay abreast of statutory and Department of Education changes and advise our clients with regard to how these changes impact policies, school district operations, and the collective bargaining process in the educational setting.

We conduct internal investigations (HIB, Affirmative Action, Title IX, Healthy Workplace and Inappropriate Staff Conduct) and Professional Development and training in all areas of general education law, Human Resources, personnel management and mandatory policies and annual school employee training requirements.

We review all aspects of hiring and Human Resources practices to ensure legal compliance, non-discrimination, sound processes and adherence to the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJQSAC) requirements. We review all aspects of hiring and Human Resources practices to ensure legal compliance, non-discrimination, sound processes and adherence to the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJQSAC) requirements.