Joanne has not always been a School Law attorney. She worked her way through school as a carhop at Stewart's Root Beer and as a bartender.
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Joanne L. Butler represents numerous boards of education as general or special counsel. In addition to providing daily counsel to her school district clients, Joanne conducts in-service training at all levels and represents her clients in investigations and litigation before the Department of Education, the Office of Administrative Law, the Public Employment Relations Commission, the Division on Civil Rights, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and various state and federal courts. Joanne also offers employment counseling to private employers.
Joanne frequently shares her knowledge and experience in the areas of school law and labor and employment law through lectures and in-service training on various education and employment issues. Topics have included harassment/intimidation/bullying; student discipline; expulsion and alternative education; residency issues; student records; student surveys; Individualized Education Program (IEP) preparation; special education; avoiding/surviving due process; Section 504; New Jersey Family Leave and Federal Family and Medical Leave; sexual harassment; search and seizure; technology on and off school grounds; and school safety concerns.
Prior to joining Schenck Price in 1996, Joanne was a partner with the West Orange firm of Young, Dimiero & Sayovitz. Early in her law career, she served her judicial clerkship with the Honorable Clarkson S. Fisher, former Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.
- March 9, 2023Joanne Butler to Present at NBI's Employment Documentation: 2023 Updates and Drafting Techniques Webinar
- February 1, 2023Joanne Butler to Speak at NJICLE'S 2023 School Law Conference
- December 14, 2022Joanne L. Butler to Speak at the 2022 School Law Forum
- May 10, 2022Student Bullying: Legal Issues
- Apr 28, 2022School Law: Mental Health Issues
- Oct 27, 2021Butler Presents "Hot Topics in Special Education"
- Aug 26, 2021Butler Presents "Litigating Student Bullying Lawsuits" for NBI
- Feb 25, 2021Update on USDOE's Title IX Student-to-Student Sexual Harassment Regulations
- Nov 20, 2020School Law: Handling Mental Health Issues
- Aug 3, 2020Navigating Legal Issues of Remote Learning: Challenges for Educational Institutions
- Jun 19, 2020Joanne L. Butler to speak on "Improper Evaluations and Child Find Mistakes" and "The IEP Development Process and Implementation Disasters"
- Feb 5, 2020"Successfully Handling Disciplinary Actions for Special Needs Students" and "Ensuring Successful Due Process Procedures
- Feb 27, 2019NBI School Law Expert Panel: How to Handle Your Biggest Challenges
- Feb 5, 2019ICLE Annual School Law Conference
- Aug 13, 2018National Webinar on School Discipline
- Jul 17, 2018Human Resource Law from A to Z
- Feb 28, 2018Providing for Mental Health Services in Schools
- Dec 11, 2017Key Considerations for Implementing IEPs
- Dec 11, 2017IEP Development Process: Handling Difficult Issues
- Aug 17, 2017Ethical Issues in Education Law
- Jun 8, 2017Ethical Issues for School Law Practitioners
- Apr 5, 2017Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying (HIB)
- Feb 22, 2017Special Education Law From A to Z 2017
- Jan 26, 2017 Disciplining Students with Disabilities: Rules for Students with IEPs and Section 504 Plans
- Oct 18, 2016ESSA - Every Student Succeeds Act and Its Impact on Students with Disabilities
- Sep 22, 2016"K-12 Athletics: How to Avoid Liability Associated with Misconduct, Discrimination, Injuries and More
- Aug 25, 2016Disciplining Students with Disabilities: Rules for Students with IEPs and Section 504 Plans
- Jan 14, 2016Staff Communications with Parents, Students and Colleagues: Guidance to Avoid Pitfalls and Possible Liability
- Dec 10, 2015Individualized Education Program & Free and Appropriate Public Education
- Dec 17, 2015Avoiding and Surviving Special Education Due Process Litigation
- May 22, 2013What Schools Need to Know About Internet, Email and Computer Use
- May 26, 2011Special Education Webcast
- May 11, 2011It's My Prerogative - District and Parent Perspective
- Jan 24, 2011Successfully Handling Disciplinary Actions for Special Needs Students
- Aug 16, 2007School Staff Obligations to Notify DYFS
- May 1, 2007Teachers' Do's and Don'ts in Special Education
- Jan 1, 2007Lawfully Managing Student Records Without Violating Privacy Rights
- Aug 1, 2006Child Abuse Reporting and the Uniform Memorandum of Agreement with Local Law Enforcement
- Apr 14, 2022Compensatory Education and the COVID-19 Pandemic
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- Selected to the New Jersey Super Lawyers®* list, featured in New Jersey Monthly magazine, in the field of Schools and Education*
- Trustee, New Jersey Association of School Attorneys
*No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Click here to read Awards & Honors Methodology. -
- Speaker, "Employment Documentation: 2023 Updates and Drafting Techniques," webinar, National Business Insitute, March 9, 2023
- Speaker, "HIB/Mallory's Law - Recent Changes You Need to Know About," 2023 School Law Conference, New Jersey State Bar Association, February 1, 2023
- Co-Presenter, "Truancy and School Avoidance," School Law Forum, New Jersey School Boards Association and Associate Membership Program for School Attorneys, December 14, 2022
- Speaker, "School Law: Handling Mental Health Issues," National Business Institute, November 29, 2022
- Speaker, "Hidden Dangers in Human Resources Law," National Business Institute, November 15, 2022
- Speaker, "School Law 2022-2023: Hot Button Issues and Trends," National Business Institute, November 8, 2022
- Speaker, "School Law and Bullying: Legal Obligations and Strategies," National Business Institute, September 20, 2022
- Speaker, "Thorny Issues Related to the ADA and the FMLA," National Business Institute, Human Resources Law 2022, July 18, 2022
- Speaker, "Ethical Issues," National Business Institute Human Resources Law 2022, July 18, 2022
- Speaker, "Student Bullying: Legal Issues," Lawline webinar, May 10, 2022
- Speaker, "School Law: Mental Health Issues," Lawline webinar, April 28, 2022
- Co-author, "Compensatory Education and the COVID-19 Pandemic," New Jersey Lawyer, April 2022
- Quoted in "Helping or Enabling? What to Consider Before Providing a 1:1 Aide for Behavior," LRP Publications SpecialEdConnection, December 16, 2021
- Quoted in "Untangling Procedural Safeguards: Help Parents Know Their Rights," LRP SpecialEdConnection, November 11, 2021
- Co-presenter, "What's Happening in Special Education Now," NJICLE Hot Topics in Special Education, October 27, 2021
- Presenter, "Litigating Student Bullying Lawsuits," NBI webinar, August 26, 2021
- Author, "School Staff Must Be Vaccinated and Mask Mandate Exemption Requires Medical Documentation," August 24, 2021
- Presenter, "Key Considerations for Implementing IEPs" and "Discipline and Expulsion Essentials Under IDEA and Section 504," NBI webinar, IEP and 504 Plan Legal Workshop, June 30, 2021
- Co-presenter, "Update on USDOE's Title IX Student-to-Student Sexual Harassment Regulations," ICLE School Law Conference, February 25, 2021
- Speaker, "School Law: Mental Health Issues," National Business Institute online seminar, November 20, 2020
- Presenter, "Navigating Legal Issues of Remote Learning: Challenges for Educational Institutions," Lawline, August 3, 2020
- Speaker, "Improper Evaluations and Child Find Mistakes" and "The IEP Development Process and Implementation Disasters," February 5, 2020, NBI
- Speaker, NJSBA Spring Law Forum Trauma, Anxiety and School Refusal, June 12, 2019
- Speaker, NBI Evaluations & Eligibility, and Defesible IEPs, May 1, 2019
- Speaker, DKG Webinar Discipline Under IDEA and Section 504, March 19, 2019
- Speaker, National Webinar on School Discipline, Lawline, August 13, 2018
- Speaker, "Human Resource Law from A to Z," NBI, July 17-18, 2018
- Speaker, "Providing for Mental Health Services in Schools," NJICLE, February 28, 2018
- Speaker, "Key Considerations for Implementing IEPs," NBI, December 11, 2017
- Speaker, “IEP Development Process: Handling Difficult Issues” and “Key Considerations for Implementing IEPs” at NBI IEP and 504 Plan Workshop, December 11, 2017
- Speaker, "Ethical Issues in Education Law," Lawline, August 17, 2017
- Speaker, "Ethical Issues for School Law Practitioners," PLI Institute, June 8, 2017
- Speaker, "Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying (HIB)," ICLE Administrative Law Forum, April 5, 2017
- Speaker, "Evaluations and Eligibility" and "Developing and Implementing Defensible IEPs," NBI, February 22, 2017
- Speaker, "Disciplining Students with Disabilities: Rules for Students with IEPs and Section 504 Plans," DKG Media, January 26, 2017
- Speaker, "ESSA - Every Student Succeeds Act and Its Impact on Students with Disabilities," ICLE Hot Topics in Special Education Forum, October 18, 2016
- Speaker, "K-12 Athletics: How to Avoid Liability Associated with Misconduct, Discrimination, Injuries and More," DKG Media, September 22, 2016
- Speaker, "Disciplining Students with Disabilities: Rules for Students with IEPs and Section 504 Plans," DKG Media, August 25, April 27 and January 21, 2016
- Speaker, "Staff Communications with Parents, Students and Colleagues: Guidance to Avoid Pitfalls and Possible Liability," DKG Media, January 14, 2016
- Speaker, "Avoiding and Surviving Special Education Due Process Litigation," DKG Media, December 17, 2015
- Speaker, "Individualized Education Program (IEPs)" and "Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)," NBI, December 10, 2015
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- Member, School/Justice Partnership Subcommittee of the New Jersey Council on Juvenile Justice System Improvement
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Trustee, New Jersey Association of School Attorneys
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Member, NJSBA School Law Committee
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Member, NJSBA Diversity Committee
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Member, NJSBA LGBTQ Rights Section
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Member, NJSBA Labor and Employment Section
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- Secured due process ruling that District was not required to place elementary student in an out-of-district placement due to school refusal. P.C. and C.C. o/b/o N.C. v. Sparta Board of Education
- Secured due process ruling that District was not required to transport disabled student from and to the day care center selected by the parent. M.B. o/b/o J.B. v. Nutley Board of Education
- Secured tenure dismissal of special education teacher for physical and verbal abuse of students, and for inappropriate and offensive statements to staff members. In the Matter of the Tenure Hearing of Curtis Robinson
- Secured tenure dismissal of teacher for insubordination to building administrators, falsification of leave request and sleeping during State standardized testing. In the Matter of the Tenure Hearing of Christopher Molokwu
- Successfully defended board against challenge to non-renewal of non-tenured teacher alleging improper papering of personnel file. Victor Eisenberg v. Fort Lee Board of Education
- Successfully petitioned for due process relief on behalf of boards rejecting requests for independent evaluations
- Successfully defended school districts in domicile and affidavit pupil disputes, including vacation of special education due process settlement for residential placement due to parent’s change of domicile
- Secured dismissal of civil rights complaints against boards of education on issues of race, gender, age and disability discrimination
