The General Practice Unit (GPU) provides legal advice to schools and administrative offices on a broad range of issues. GPU attorneys have knowledge and expertise in several areas, including federal and state education law; labor and employment law; student safety, health, and discipline; laws concerning accommodations for individuals with disabilities; and school governance. The unit also works on issues regarding access to and confidentiality of student educational records under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the public’s right to information under the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL).
GPU works on major class actions and policy initiatives; handles various grievance appeals and student suspension appeals; drafts rules and regulations for the DOE. The unit also routinely conducts research and provides advice on a variety of issues related to public education, including religious accommodations, charter schools, dress codes, search and seizure, after-school use of facilities, immunization, compulsory education, and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).