California Legal Symposium 2026 (November 12, 2026)

Thu, 12 Nov 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Cal-ISBOA is once again partnering with Liebert Cassidy Whitmore (LCW) to bring you legal updates important to independent school business officers and those with human resources responsibilities. Four curated topics will be presented by LCW attorneys along with a Q&A session to answer all of your questions.

With two for one pricing, this is an excellent opportunity for teams, so consider bringing multiple staff members to ensure both your business and HR functions are well-supported. Don't miss this standout event of the year!

Thursday, November 12, 2026

9:00am - 4:00pm

Zoom

Schedule

9:00 - 9:15am

Welcome & Opening Remarks

Grace Chan and Scarlett Vanyi

9:15 - 10:30am

From SB 848 to SB 1083: The Next Phase of School Safety Compliance

Presented by Heather DeBlanc and Julie Strom

California’s student-safety requirements continue to evolve. SB 848 established significant obligations for private schools and the recently enacted SB 1083 expanded these safeguards to certain contractors and subcontractors providing services to students. These changes require schools to revisit contractor agreements, screening and disclosure procedures, background-check obligations, and compliance/enforcement provisions. This session will provide attendees with a practical update on the new requirements concerning egregious misconduct reporting, hiring and employment-history checks, mandated-reporter training, investigation practices, and the forthcoming statewide data system. Attendees will leave with clear priorities for updating their school’s practices and reducing legal and operational risks.

10:30 - 10:45am

Break

10:45 - 11:45am

School Pay Practices: Contracts, Stipends, Field Trips, and More

Presented by Madison Tanner and Brian Walter

Private schools employ individuals in a variety of roles, schedules, and compensation arrangements, creating wage-and-hour issues that do not always have straightforward answers. This session will examine common legal questions involving 10-month and 12-month teacher contracts, stipends and additional-duty assignments, substitute compensation, and compensation for administrators and other employees who take on responsibilities outside their regular roles. Presenters will also use school trips and other off-campus activities to illustrate issues involving compensable time, travel, overnight responsibilities, meal periods, overtime, driving, and expense reimbursement. Designed specifically for private school business officers, the session will provide practical guidance for evaluating compensation arrangements, recognizing legal risks, and identifying when a particular pay practice or assignment may require closer review with legal counsel.

11:45- 12:45pm

Lunch

12:45 - 2:00pm

You Make the Call: 20 Legal Questions Every Independent School Business Officer Needs to Know

Presented by Grace Chan and Riley Jacobs

Independent school business officers are often the people expected to make the call when an unexpected legal or operational issue lands on the school’s desk, often with incomplete information, competing priorities, and no obvious playbook. In this high energy, interactive session, attendees will work through 20 realistic scenarios involving topics such as wage and hour, employee relations, leaves and accommodations, discipline, student and parent concerns, workplace investigations, contracts, privacy and technology, and other day-to-day operational challenges. Participants will be presented with a question or hypothetical and asked to “make the call” before LCW attorneys unpack the key legal requirements, practical considerations, available options, and potential risks. Come prepared to test your instincts, sharpen your issue-spotting, compare approaches with colleagues, and build confidence in handling the questions that land on your desk. We will close with the “21st Question,” an open forum for attendees to raise additional questions.

2:00 - 2:15pm

Break

2:15 - 3:15pm

“They Posted WHAT?” Employee Social Media and Off-Duty Conduct

Presented by Michael Blacher and Hannah Dodge

What happens off duty does not always stay off duty, especially online. For California independent schools, employee social media activity can implicate the school’s mission and values, employee rights, and community expectations. Through actual cases and interactive hypotheticals, this presentation will provide a framework for responding to controversial or offensive posts, political speech, and parent complaints. We will examine NLRB decisions and guidance, California Labor Code sections 1101 and 1102, and potential retaliation and discrimination claims. We will also consider how contract and policy language can support clear, consistent responses to these challenging situations.

3:15 - 4:00pm

Q & A and Closing Remarks

Michael Blacher and Scarlett Vanyi

Important notes:

Your registration includes access to the symposium for two people.
You will receive instructions to login to the Symposium one week prior to the event.
Registrants will also receive access to the recordings. If you are not able to attend the live event, please register to receive the recording.
An access code is only needed for LCW Consortium members, not Cal-ISBOA members. This is to ensure both parties receive the "member" price. The code is being sent by LCW to consortium members, check your inbox or reach out to your Consortium Coordinator.

Continuing Education credits (5.25 hours offered):
Each breakout session is intended to be eligible for and is pending approval for SHRM and HRCI continuing education credit. Participating attorneys are eligible for 5.25 hours of MCLE credit.

Cal-ISBOA upcoming events

California Legal Symposium 2026 (November 12, 2026)