Governance & Leadership | Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost LLP

What's it like to work with F3?

Your mission as a school board is our mission as your partner. You know what needs to get done, and we’re here to collaborate with and empower you. And if you’re not sure what needs to get done, we’ll help with that, too.

What can F3 solve for you?

Whether it’s complying with state voting rights acts or election map redistricting after each census, open meeting laws, the public records acts, or simply training new board members on their responsibilities, our experience preventing headaches before they begin helps keep you focused on your mission: providing the best possible education to students.

“F3 Law’s services are tailored to meet the unique needs of educational institutions and public agencies, providing practical solutions and advice on compliance with open meeting laws and best practices for transparency, accountability, and effective decision-making.”
Matt Vance, Partner

We’re the ones at the other end of the phone call who know the law and know you, the board members, and your community. What makes F3 different is our keen understanding of boards and our unparalleled experience with the sometimes-complex board and governance team dynamic. Our clients are elected school boards, political entities that may have high turnover and specific agendas. Part of our job is to ensure that boards fully understand their role, their legal responsibilities, and their ethical boundaries. We also work closely with college and university leadership teams and trustees, providing the advice and counsel that can help institutions navigate challenging issues and return the focus to the goal of educating students.

We’re a firm of more than 150 attorneys focused exclusively on education, and many of us bring to the table decades of direct experience as school board members, superintendents, and former in-house counsel for districts and colleges. While other firms may provide counsel solely on the law without a true understanding of how things work, F3 brings our clients a much broader picture.

Our mission is our clients’ mission

With our depth of experience and knowledge, we’re here to advise boards and other school leadership on best practices and their options – not simply to tell them what to do. And not just to keep them on the right side of the law, but to provide tailored advice toward achieving our shared goal, excellence in education, within the context of who the community and stakeholders are, as well as the law.

Best practices = fewer problems

While we have litigated cases when clients have had lawsuits related, for example, to the Brown Act and Public Records Act, our main objective is to help clients maintain the integrity of the governance team and the board and avoid landmines. By advising on and encouraging the best policies and procedures based on our experience – such as timely responding to Public Records Act and media requests – we prevent problems clients may not foresee. F3 continuously conducts workshops to train board members, new and continuing, on the nuts and bolts of keeping out of trouble.

Board elections, election maps/redistricting and political issues

Current events and campaign issues can impact education organizations both on and off campus. Drawing from our in-depth experience, we are leaders in the field of state voting rights act and election map redistricting compliance, offering practical guidance and leadership on both transitions from at-large to by-trustee-area election systems and election map redistricting after the release of the census each decade in compliance with the FAIR MAPS Act. We provide thorough legal analysis as well as professional development on these and other issues with the aim of ensuring a compliant and fair process. We have also testified before state assemblies’ local government and elections committees.

Crisis Management and Free Speech Issues

Schools and colleges deal with issues outside of their control that can escalate into crises, such as responding to epidemics, data breaches, or protests and encampments on campuses. Our attorneys and communications experts help navigate these issues, provide options and strategies, and help clients reach optimal resolutions under challenging circumstances.

School board appointments

Specific statutes govern the filling of school board vacancies when there are no candidates to fill them. Requirements may govern the timing of appointments, the residency of appointees, and other details. Our attorneys are adept at guiding districts through the appointment process in a compliant and noncontroversial manner.

Brown Act compliance and meeting procedure

Conducting district business in compliance with open meeting laws is imperative both to adhere to statutes and to ensure the public’s right to access. We assist districts in setting meeting agendas, following protocols, and broadcasting and virtual meeting procedures.

Public Records Act compliance

Access to information concerning the conduct of public business is a fundamental right. We provide skilled guidance in records production and maintenance, investigations, and handling complex requests.

Board and leadership training

A shared understanding of and commitment to roles and responsibilities is essential for governance teams to provide effective leadership. Our team provides tailored workshops for board and leadership that cover board responsibilities, conducting meetings, community advocacy, communication protocols, and more.

Ethics and conflicts of interest

We regularly advise school districts and their board members and leaders on a variety of issues, such as the Political Reform Act, conflicts of interest, and, lately, data breach notifications.