Project Description

District and

COE Legal Services

2023 marked the second full year of CSBA’s District and County Office of Education Legal Services program, which continued to grow and expand the services provided to CSBA members throughout the state. Subscribers receive access to CSBA attorneys who can provide low-cost legal services on all matters related to public education and unlimited access to the online Resource Library: a repository of collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), memorandums of understanding (MOUs), salary schedules and legal resources designed to assist members in negotiations.

Year in Review

  • Doubled the number of CSBA members subscribing as clients and benefiting from the service.
  • Provided legal advice and assistance on a wide range of issues including:
    • Brown Act and teleconferencing compliance
    • Public Records Act requests
    • Extended Learning Opportunities Program-funded before- and after-school programs
    • MOUs with outside agencies
    • Superintendent contracts and evaluations
    • Student discipline
    • Layoff procedures
    • Employee classifications
    • Title IX and sexual harassment complaints
    • Board policies and administrative regulations
    • Bullying complaints
    • Fraud investigations
    • Student mediations
    • First Amendment issues including religious clubs and displaying Pride flags
    • Restraining orders
  • Expanded the Legal Resource Library to nearly 13,000 documents to help LEAs prepare for successful bargaining and recruit and retain staff.
  • Hosted 10 Lunch and Learn webinars for Legal Services clients providing exclusive guidance and discussion on emerging legal issues.
  • Provided multiple full-day Brown Act trainings in the Los Angeles, Central Valley and Sacramento areas.
  • Facilitated district-specific trainings on complaint procedures and sexual harassment.
  • Collaborated with the CSBA’s Governance and Policy Technology Services team to produce quarterly policy update webinars to explain changes in the law and their impacts to CSBA sample policies.
  • Provided regional presentations on changes to Title IX and impacts to LEAs in California.