How A Private School Attorney Can Help Private Schools

In the eyes of the law, private religious schools are very different than all other schools. From the First Amendment religious liberties protections to the critical formation, governance, and board matters, we are experienced private school attorneys with experience in private religious school administration.

We know how stressful school situations can be because we have sat in your chair as school leaders. Now, God has called us to help you in all aspects of your school.

We offer a “School Law Review” where we take the time to review and improve all of your school’s critical legal aspects. A private school attorney will look into the following areas:

  • Admissions Process and Admissions Documents
  • Online Enrollment Agreements
  • Student Handbooks
  • Faculty/Employment Handbooks
  • Board Policies
  • Faculty Agreements
  • Insurance Policy Review

Our private school attorneys are leaders in school law, with decades of experience working in schools. Click the box below for more information about our practice areas.

Private Schools Practice Areas

Crisis Management

We are here to help you when you do not know what to do. When a crisis hits your ministry, it is imperative to have a team in place to respond and act swiftly. Our team will walk you through how to respond and communicate to your constituents, the media, and of course, walk through and counsel your team through the legal issues. Our team has decades of ministry experience—including pastoral and school administration—and we are to help you bear the burden of navigating through the crisis in a way that honors God.

Faculty Contracts

Faculty agreements are excellent tools that can protect and ensure that you have teachers committed to carry out your school’s mission. Our team has extensive experience in counseling clients over the best employment approaches for each school. If your school does not have faculty agreements, our team can draft these important documents and can help you

HR/Labor and Employment

How your ministry handles its staff and employment matters sets the tone for your entire ministry. In recent months, labor and employment cases have become the number one lawsuit that we have defended churches and schools through. On the defense side, we are thoroughly versed in all aspects of defense—including the First Amendment implications—and how to get these cases dismissed or resolved as quickly as possible. We represent clients at all stages of litigation, including the EEOC and state agencies, in the courtroom, and through the appellate process.

On the proactive side, we love to help ministries shore up their existing documents to help prevent lawsuits. Our HR Audit is a comprehensive review that will make sure your ministry’s human resource policies are intact and that your team is educated in labor and employment matters. We offer comprehensive training in this area as it is the most commonly litigated matter in church cases at this time.

Investigations

Sometimes, it is wise to hire a third-party investigator to investigate claims of harassment, whistleblower complaints, or any other complaints that are out of the purview of law enforcement. Our team is skilled and able to effectively and thoroughly investigate matters so you are able to reach a conclusion.

IRS and Taxation Matters

Full service IRS and tax law practice, including drafting and filing applications for tax-exempt status (1023 applications), resolving unrelated business income issues, Form 990 issues, private benefit and inurement issues, political campaign and lobbying issues and relationships between 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) and other politically active organizations, joint ventures, issues related to charitable contributions and deductions, and IRS audits as well as related matters.

Lawsuits

Ministry lawsuits are incredibly difficult, and you need an advocate that understands church law, civil litigation, and the nature of churches and ministries a whole. Our team has extensive experience—exclusively representing churches, nonprofits, and schools—in the courtroom. During the course of a lawsuit, effective public relations are also critical. If you entrust your litigation matter to our team, we will zealously advocate your case in the court of law and will walk with you as you navigate the public relations issues.

For an example of case representation matters, please see.

PR

It is critical to respond and communicate appropriately when a crisis strikes your ministry. Our attorneys have direct experience in school administration and general counsel, and we can help you prioritize and appropriately respond in the midst of the storm.

Religious Liberties Matters

Our team is prepared to provide proactive advice and counsel to help your ministry avail itself of all of the First Amendment’s protections applicable to private religious schools. We routinely counsel school clients as it pertains to admissions policies, labor and employment matters, and all other areas that concern religious liberties protetcions for your school.

Student Handbooks

Your student handbook is a critical document that will set the tone for how your school operates. Our team will review your handbook and provide any missing provisions and provide counsel for other revisions so that it is going to be able to protect your school and how God has called your team to lead it.

Student Matters

When you are in a situation involving law enforcement or disgruntled parents, we routinely counsel schools in this important area and will be in your corner to help you see clearly in difficult situations.