Signature Series

THE BOWLES RICE SIGNATURE SERIES WORKSHOPS

Bowles Rice produces the invitation-only Signature Series Workshops for West Virginia public education leaders and their staffs. The all-day sessions provide focused legal education in an interactive, small group setting.

Now in their 19th year, our 200+ workshops have taught our guests how to avoid legal missteps, and how to spot and address significant legal issues at an early stage. We continue to cover best practices and practical action steps, arming our guests with explanatory materials, checklists and forms.

Because we restrict group size, attendees have ample time to discuss the issues, ask questions and network with one another. Workshop topics are annually chosen from surveys of school administrators and input from our lawyers who advise and represent school districts. View the full list of workshop titles for 2013-2023 below.

2023 Signature Series Workshops

• Exploring Summer Employment: Wait, What? Summer Employment is Different? (March) 
• It's a Jungle Out There: Exploring New Legislative Changes in West Virginia in 2023 (May)
• Exploring the Fundamentals of School Personnel Law: An Orientation and Refresher Course (July) 
• Mission Control: Navigating the Education Universe with Substitute Employees (September) 
• Realigning the Workforce (November & December) 

2022 Signature Series Workshops

• When 1+1=IX: Building on What You Know (or Don’t) about the School District’s Critical Obligations Under Title IX (January)
• The Big Picture: Fundamentals of School Personnel Law for New, Aspiring, and Veteran HR Administrators (and approved staff) (February)
• March Madness! Your Playbook for Difficult Social Medial Situations, from Arrested Employees to Zoom Attacks and Everything in Between (March)
• Spotlight Tag: Legislative Update (May)
• The Big Picture: Fundamentals of School Personnel Law for New, Aspiring and Veteran HR Administrators (and approved staff) (July)
• It’s 5:00 O’clock Somewhere! Easing the Pains of Employee Absenteeism (September)
• Cruising through Personnel Season: Realigning the Service Personnel Workforce through RIFs, Transfers, Non-Renewals and Reassignments (November & December)
• Cruise Control: Reorganizing the Professional Employee Workforce with Confidence
  
  

2021 Signature Series Workshops

• Making the Tough Calls: Your Response to Employee Misconduct (February)
• The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth: Investigating Suspicions and Complaints in the Schools (March)
• Cover All the Bases! The Law of Public-School Coaches and Athletic Programs (April)
• The Winds of Change: An in-depth Look at the Brand New Legislation & Other Developments in Education Law Impacting Your School System (May)
• Breaking Bad: Everything You Wanted to Know About Student Discipline (September)
• Countdown to Personnel Season: Reorganizing the Professional Employee Workforce for School Year 2022-2023 (November & January 2022)
• Countdown to Personnel Season: Reorganizing the Service Employee Workforce for School Year 2022-2023 (November & January 2022)

2020 Signature Series Workshops

• Making the Tough Calls: Your Response to Employee Misconduct  (March)
  
• A Latte to Learn About the New Title IX Regulations (July & August)
  
• Fundamentals of West Virginia School Personnel Law: An Orientation and Refresher Course (August)
• Realignment of Professional Personnel (December & January 2021)
  
• Realignment of Service Personnel (December & January 2021)
  

2019 Signature Series Workshops

• The Ink Is Barely Dry!  New Legislation & Other Legal Developments Affecting the Public Schools (May)
• Multiclassifications Needn’t Be “Multi-Complicated” (July)
• Investigating Suspicions and Complaints in the Schools:  Legal Requirements and Good Practices (September)
• The Fundamentals of Professional and Service Employee RIFs, Transfers, Non-Renewals and Reassignments (November, December & January 2020)
• Beyond the Basics:  Sticky Issues Involving Professional and Service Employee RIFs, Transfers, Non-Renewals and Reassignments (November, December & January 2020)
• Apply What You Learned.  A Realistic Exercise:  Realigning the Workforce for 2020-21 (December & January 2020)

• "Where's Waldo?"  Combating Employee Absenteeism (March)
• Breaking News!  Brand New West Virginia Legislation, Recent Court Opinions and New Grievance Board Decisions Affecting Public Education (April)
• Setting the Pace to Successfully Complete the Grievance Marathon (May)
• A "Boot Camp" Orientation and Review:  Fundamentals of Personnel Law for the Personnel Office (July)
• An Ounce of Prevention:  Avoiding Due Process Complaints and Section 504 Lawsuits, Grievances and OCR Complaints (September)
• Preparing for Personnel Season:  Professional Employee RIFs, Transfers, Non-Renewals and Reassignments for School Year 2019-2020 (November, December & January 2019)
• Preparing for Personnel Season:  Service Employee RIFs, Transfers, Non-Renewals and Reassignments for School Year 2019-2020 (November, December & January 2019)

• Tell it to the Judge:  Preparing for the Inevitable Special Education Due Process Hearing in Your Future (March)
• Turning Up the Heat When Employees Lose Their Cool:  How to Deal with Employee Misconduct (May)
• Tackling Title IX:  Understanding, Investigating and Addressing Title IX Issues to Avoid Getting Sacked! (September)
• Realigning the Workforce for 2018-19:  Essential Rules and Procedures (November, December and January 2018)
• Realigning the Workforce for 2018-19:  Difficult (But Inescapable) Issues and Complications (November, December and January 2018)

• Curses, FOIA-ed Again! (March)
• Cracking the Case:  Conducting Grievances, Without Going Nuts! (May)
• School Personnel Law Orientation and Refresher Course (July)
• Social Notworking:  When Social Media Negatively Impacts School Operations – Legal Options, Duties and Limits (September)
• Setting the Stage for Personnel Season: Professional Employee RIFs, Transfers and Reassignments (November and December)
• A Personnel Warm-Up: Service Employee RIFs, Transfers and Reassignments (November and December)

• The Envelope, Please:  The Award for the Class Title with the Most Legal Complications Goes to...Aide! (March)
• Is it Rocket Science? Posting and Filling Vacancies in Professional and Service Personnel Jobs (July)
• Drug-Free Schools:  Lawfully Detecting and Addressing Employee Substance Abuse (September)
• Applying the Rules for Reorganizing the Service Employee Workforce for School Year 2016-2017 (October and November)
• Making Sense of the Rules for Reorganizing the Professional Employee Workforce for School Year 2016-2017 (October and November)

• Countdown to Summer:  Hirings and Other Issues Related to Summer Service and Professional Personnel (March)
• School Personnel Law 101 (Including Latest Legislative Changes) (July)
• West Virginia Executive Secretaries:  Avoiding Surprises By Being Prepared (September)
• Conducting Investigations in the Public Schools for Principals, Personnel Directors and Central Office Administrators:  Lawful and Effective Investigation Techniques and Tips (September)
• Preparing for Personnel Season:  The Fundamentals of Professional and Service Employee RIFs, Transfers and Non-Renewals (October, November and December)
• Beyond the Basics:  Advanced (and Inevitable) Issues Involving Professional and Service Employee RIFs, Transfers and Non-Renewals (October, November and December)

• Cutting Through the Fog:  A Primer, Refresher and Legal Development Update for the Special Education Administrator (March)
  
• The Personnel Provisions of S.B. 359 (April)
• Know When to Zip It:  Legal Issues in the Disclosure of Information (May)
• Fundamentals of School Personnel Law:  An Orientation and Refresher Course (July and August)
• All Things Financial:  Calling All School District Chancellors of the Exchequer (September)
• Realigning the Professional Employee Workforce for School Year 2014-2015:  RIFs, Transfers, Non-Renewals and Reassignments in a Senate Bill 359/Policy 5000 World (October, November and December)
• Realigning the Sevice Employee Workforce for School Year 2014-2015:  RIFs, Transfers, Non-Renewals and Reassignments in a Senate Bill 359/Policy 5000 World (October, November and December)