Home

NSAA: An Independent, Self-Governed School Attorneys Association

The National School Attorneys Association was created in 2023 as part of a grassroots effort of school attorneys across the U.S. The goal –  to form an independent and self-governed association of colleagues with the objective of “uniting and supporting attorneys in legal advocacy on behalf of our nation’s public schools.” Formed and governed by school attorneys, NSAA provides support, networking, training, and discussion opportunities to its members for the ultimate benefit of our nation's public schools and the students they serve.

Questions about joining, supporting, or sponsoring NSAA? Contact Sonja Trainor, Executive Director.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

NSAA proudly partners with AASA, the Superintendents Association, to present an innovative new legal training program for Superintendents.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Upcoming Lunch & Learn Webinars! Save the date!

Monday, October 21 - Noon (Eastern)
Is This Still a Good IDEA?  Or Has Inclusion Reached a Tipping Point? 
I represent school districts.  At a recent state-level school law conference, I came to the realization that none of my colleagues were happy about the state of Special Education with respect to the demands of students whose needs are increasingly primarily related to emotional and mental health.  The SPED attorneys are at a loss.  The teacher attorneys are concerned about the safety of their clients.  The parent attorneys are increasingly arguing for more restrictive placements. The attorneys who represent the school boards are struggling to explain the obligations and costs associated with increasing calls for nonpublic and residential placements. This presentation examines the foundational principle of inclusion upon which IDEA is based and attempts to reconcile that idea with the reality that the general education setting may no longer be the least restrictive environment for an increasing number of children.
Presented by Dean Micknal, Leasor Crass, Mansfield, TX
To register, email Cheryl at crichardson@nsaa.legal
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  

Tuesday, November 19 – Noon (Eastern)
FERPA/PPRA Missteps Explained
The data privacy rules established under the FERPA and PPRA frameworks still guide school district records practices, 50 years after FERPA's passage.  Two student privacy experts who regularly address FERPA/PPRA questions will review areas where schools tend to "get it wrong" and offer thoughts on how districts can avoid compliance challenges.
 
Presented by: Frank Miller, Acting Director, Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO); Ross Lemke, Manager, Privacy Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) 
To register, email Cheryl at crichardson@nsaa.legal
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
Monday, December 9, Noon (Eastern)
Student Data Privacy: Today’s Challenges and Resources
Student data privacy issues continue to make headlines across the country. Whether it is inappropriate sharing of data, lack of awareness, data breaches, or simply guardian mistrust of schools to properly protect student data hardly a day goes by without a new story focused on student privacy concerns. 
In this Lunch & Learn we will hear from two student data privacy specialists on the current state of privacy as well as resources available to districts and vendors to help address these issues.  Learn how data privacy bills may affect your current tech contracts, data governance procedures, and policies.
Mark Williams, Partner at F3 Law, and Steve Smith, Executive Director of Access 4 Learning and Founder of the Student Data Privacy Consortium.

____________________________

Find video links for past webinars under the Professional Development Opportunities tab!

___________________________

NSAA Listserv continues to expand: 

As you likely know by now, we have created an NSAA listserv. We have over 1,300+ attorneys from around the U.S. populated on the listserv. As you also likely know, several state associations and others have volunteered in-kind services for NSAA. The Montana School Boards Association (MTSBA) has volunteered to host our NSAA listserv. The MTSBA website is built on a community platform, and this will give NSAA our own secure community where we can interact, share ideas, answer questions, and stay connected as we build our new association. NSAA Community Guide

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Become a Dues-Paying Member of NSAA

Click here to join NSAA! We are keeping dues for FY24 (July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024) as low as possible (set at $200 per attorney).  Dues will not increase for FY25 (starting July 1, 2024).  There is great value in being a member of NSAA, including but not limited to:

  • NSAA’s Lunch and Learn Webinars: NSAA offers monthly webinars at no charge on topics of interest to school attorneys across the U.S.
  • NSAA Listserv:  Make sure you get the best interactive experience with your colleagues by engaging in the listserv.  You can pose questions or information that is useful to school attorneys. Contact Wendy Brenden at wbrenden@mtsba.org if you are not getting real-time postings on the listserv.
  • Mark your Calendars for NSAA’s Annual National Conference in Indianapolis:  Our 2nd Annual National Conference will be held on October 9-11, 2024.  It is sure to be a success and great opportunity to collaborate with your colleagues. 

___________________________

If your State School Boards Association is not collecting dues for the school attorneys in your state, here is an online link for instructions to pay your NSAA Membership Dues.

___________________________