School Civil Liability
School civil liability is an area of legal specialization that requires understanding the particular needs of school administrators and educators in relation to a vast range of legal polemics, from the Constitutional rights of citizens, to federal laws governing disability access, to local ordinances and employment practices. Our nation’s children today face so many deterrents to learning, such as, rising poverty, lower budgets, and in-school violence which was unthinkable only a few decades ago. Our teachers need every tool that will aid them in fulfilling their educational mission. Schools should not be diverted from their purpose with legal woes, but the reality of the complex liabilities facing these institutions means that civil litigation or the threat of civil litigation is something a school’s executive leaders can’t afford to NOT think about.
The School Civil Liability Team and Manning Kass is led by Eugene P. Ramirez, a founding member and named partner of the firm. Mr. Ramirez has been named as a 2005–2011 and 2014 Super Lawyer for Southern California. This award only goes to the top 5% of attorneys in the Los Angeles/Orange County Bar. He was also named to the distinguished American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), an award only bestowed upon proven trial attorneys who are respected by their peers for high levels of ethics.
The School Civil Liability Team handles civil matters pertaining to school-related legal matters arising from issues such as:
• choice and privatization;
• discrimination and equity;
• compliance;
• employment;
• facilities liability;
• governance;
• health-related services;
• school district liability for sports-related injuries;
• school safety;
• special education and disabilities;
• student rights and discipline;
• student-athlete drug testing and codes of conduct,
• religious expression in the classroom;
• standardized tests and high-stakes testing; and
• use of technology such as cell phones and Internet browsing.
The School Civil Liability Team benefits from the firm’s cross-disciplinary approach to client representation, with access to attorneys who are focused in areas particularly relevant to the body of educational law, such as appellate law, ADA litigation, employment law, sports law, and premises liability.