Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Legal Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board reviews legal services after $5.6M three‑year spend; litigation drives the cost
Summary
Superintendent Connor told the board the district spent about $5.6 million on legal services over three years (~$1.88M/year) and that litigation accounts for roughly 70–78% of that spending; staff proposed a 5‑year RFP cycle and annual evaluation framework to improve oversight and control costs.
Superintendent Connor presented a multi‑year summary of the district's legal services. He said the district recorded about 6,300 hours of legal service in 2025–26 (roughly 1,400 routine hours and 4,900 hours involving board or litigation matters) and that total legal spending for the past three years is roughly $5.6 million — approximately $1.88 million per year. Connor told the board that litigation has been the dominant cost driver, representing roughly 70–78% of legal spend.
The district's general counsel work is delivered under a contracted model with Shoemaker (Shoemaker, Loub & Kendrick) serving as general counsel since 2021. Connor said routine work is billed at $275 per hour and complex or litigation work at $325 per hour under the current contract. Staff described three service models — fully contracted, in‑house, and hybrid — and recommended the board adopt regular market checks, an RFP every five years and an annual evaluation framework with measurable KPIs (turnaround times, litigation mix, budget-to-actual) regardless of the chosen model.
Shoemaker counsel Patrick Duggan told the board most litigation arises from risk‑management negligence claims such as auto/school‑bus accidents; employment suits and EEOC matters also appear but less frequently. Board members asked about preventative steps (training for drivers and staff), shifting work to paralegals and increasing the superintendent's delegated settlement authority to reduce protracted litigation. No structural change was adopted; the board expressed support for transparent, annual evaluation and a procurement cadence to ensure fiduciary oversight.
