Educational Legal Needs

Souder, Shabazz & Woolridge provides comprehensive general and special counsel representation to university, community college, school district and other private education clients. Our knowledge and experience include all phases of education law and labor relations.

We are capable of providing all related trial and appellate litigation, as well as administrative agency work. We negotiate collective bargaining agreements, conduct mediation and fact-finding proceedings and frequently appear at grievance arbitration hearings. We routinely appear before the Commissioner of Education, the Civil Service Commission, the School Ethics Commission, the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission and the Office of Administrative Law. In addition, several members of the firm litigate all types of education disputes on a routine basis. We provide legal research and advisory opinions to our clients as needed and review and draft resolutions and motions on a regular basis.

We review and draft contracts and agreements and are available to attend all regular and special meetings of our clients. We stay abreast of changes promulgated by the Department of Education and advise our clients with regard to how it impacts spending, employment contracts and the collective bargaining process in the educational setting.

The knowledge and experience of the attorneys at Souder, Shabazz & Woolridge enables the firm to assist its education clients in virtually every area of law affecting them. Our team approach in servicing our educational institutional clients is not only cost effective but enables us to offer our clients a full spectrum of services.

Some of the many areas in which we have assisted our clients in the education sector include:

  • Bullying hearings
  • Residency disputes
  • Bidding questions
  • Drafting specifications
  • Seniority questions
  • Tenure questions
  • Non-renewals
  • Increment withholdings
  • Special education
  • Contracts
  • Teacher certification
  • First amendment rights of students, parents and staff
  • Construction issues
  • Bonding
  • Land use
  • Election issues
  • Disciplinary matters
  • Workers’ compensation
  • Public agency issues

About the Firm

Committed to Our Clients

SSW Law Group represents many of the premier companies, municipalities and business interests in the region. The firm’s commitment is to provide its clients with the highest standards of excellence and service. We achieve this by offering access to SSW principals/partners who are seasoned professionals with deep expertise in our practice areas.  Unlike today’s “mega” firms, SSW Law Group is large enough to provide a full range of expertise, yet agile enough to service business clients in a personal, relationship-focused manner. The firm’s culture is based on providing excellent communication and service to its clients, and we understand that we’re truly defined by the quality of our client relationships.

Deep Community Roots & Experience

SSW Law Group is the result of a long-term vision of the founders to create a law firm that would not only provide excellent legal service to the business community, but which would also be a vital part of the political and business community structure - at the State and local levels. This reach differentiates our firm’s capabilities and culture. Our attorneys are deeply engaged in the business, community and nonprofit arenas. They are civically-minded and business savvy. This is true throughout New Jersey, New York and the Northeast. This experience makes SSW Law Group the right choice for any company or municipality in need of a law firm with strong connections, feet on the street and relevant experience.