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General Counsel outlines FY25 growth, 900 legal hotline calls and expanded AI use
Summary
General Counsel Shawn Bernard told the school board the Office of General Counsel rolled out a growth plan aligning legal work to the district strategic plan, handled roughly 900 hotline calls in FY25, reviewed 1,277 contracts and used AI tools to speed research while retaining human review.
General Counsel Shawn Bernard presented the Office of General Counsel's FY25 annual report to the Palm Beach County School Board, highlighting a departmental growth plan, expanded training and community engagement, and operational changes designed to increase efficiency.
Bernard said the office handled about 900 hotline calls over the past year, with peaks at the start of the school year and again in January and February, and reviewed 1,277 contracts districtwide. "We had about 900 of those over the course of this past year," Bernard said, citing the hotline as a real‑time support line for school leaders.
The report framed the OGC as a midsize law firm supporting governance, employment, academics, business operations and litigation. Bernard described a growth plan intended to align the office's work with the district strategic plan, to expand interpreter services and internship opportunities, and to increase training for leaders. She highlighted community engagement initiatives, including mentorship with local law academies and appearances at graduations.
Bernard said the office is experimenting with artificial intelligence for research and drafting, using tools that search the office's policies. "We really leaned into [AI] in our office," she said, adding that AI has reduced turnaround time but still requires human oversight because it can "hallucinate." The board discussed the promise and limits of AI during the Q&A that followed.
On litigation, Bernard reported favorable outcomes including the dismissal of more than 14 cases in FY25, which she said reduced legal costs for the district. She also noted the office's role in policy development and governance during meetings, and the OGC's support for more than 200 ESC and 504‑related meetings during the year.
Board members thanked Bernard and her team for their work and asked about how the OGC supports new principals. Bernard described multiple avenues for assistance: an aspiring‑principal series, "house calls" where attorneys train on site, a "Legally Speaking" series, and a board office hotline. "We put together all of the content," she said, describing an effort to make legal resources accessible to school leaders.
The presentation closed with board recognition of staff and an emphasis that AI tools are being used to improve efficiency while preserving lawyer review. The board moved on to its next workshop item.
The board will consider related policy items and will receive further operational details as the district continues to integrate the OGC's training and research products into school supports.
