According to the American Tort Reform Association's (ATRA) survey of secondary school principals, concern about liability was cited for cutting back or terminating many activities. ATRA recommends some major legislative change including reform of the doctrine of joint and several liability, and placing limits on noneconomic and punitive damage…

Two new American Bar Association rules can help school executives determine whether to use the board's attorney or hire their own private attorney. Various situations are cited to show the advisability of choosing one over the other. (KS)

Reflects on 18 years' worth of school law columns. Many of the author's predictions have proved accurate, such as forecasts that legislation to assist handicapped students would produce an unprecedented flood of litigation; that minimum competency testing would stand the tests of time and the courts; and that school districts should avoid…

Public employee status in relation to office privacy has not been clarified by the recent Supreme Court decision in "O'Conner v. Ortega." The 1986 Handicapped Children's Protection Act's provision allowing courts to award attorney fees to parents who win cases on administrative rights is ambiguous. The implications for schools are…

Guidelines to help school superintendents identify and benefit from sound legal advice. (Author/MLF)

A survey form mailed to a random sample of 1,000 superintendents nationwide aimed at determining how much litigation schools are involved in, the nature of those actions, and the results. Negligence is the most common basis for lawsuits followed by employment issues. Three charts summarize the findings. (MLF)