Legal Insights

At the end of its 2008-2009 term, the U.S. Supreme Court decided a case which implicates the constitutional rights of students with regard to searches and may impact the way…

Often school officials must determine whether a statement or writing is a threat, and if so, what punishment is appropriate. Commonwealth Court will soon consider the difficult determination of whether…

It is not unusual for School Districts to find themselves at an impasse in contract negotiations.  In today’s economic climate, Districts strive to hold the line on the ever escalating…

The dismissal of two recent federal cases filed in the Western District Court of Pennsylvania involving allegations of sexual abuse by school employees underscores the need for appropriate school district…

The Pennsylvania legislature recently adopted a measure which permits employers, including school districts, to expand the health insurance coverage available to employees’ children.  Act 4 of 2009, signed into law…

On March 30, 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Health issued its “Guidelines for Pennsylvania Schools for the Administration of Medications and Emergency Care.”  These Guidelines contain the Department’s interpretation of…

The Pittsburgh law firm of Maiello Brungo & Maiello was unanimously appointed Solicitor for the Allegheny County North Tax Collection Committee (TCC).   Lawrence J. Maiello, Michael L. Brungo and Falco…

Email is the fastest and least expensive means of communication but also the one that creates a large threat to a business.  Employers have legitimate concerns regarding employee use of…

As if keeping a project on budget and on time is not enough, more and more in today’s economic climate the proverbial monkey wrench of bankruptcy is being thrown into…

When reviewing your commercial general liability coverage with respect to premises liability concerns, check for the assault and battery exclusion, and whether this is a concern with respect to your…

Before negotiating language terms of the Lease, an agreement should first be reached on the economic terms.  These terms typically include the bonus payment, the primary term, the royalty fraction,…

In these difficult economic times, landlords are finding that tenants are defaulting on leases and failing to pay rent in record numbers.  Landlords trying to recover delinquent rental payments and…

The Pennsylvania Legislature recently approved restrictions on the length of time that diesel-powered vehicles, including school buses, may idle.  Act 124 of 2008, adopted October 9, 2008 and effective February…

With the advent of the new Right-to-Know Law on January 1, 2009, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued its decision in Tribune Review Publishing Company v. Bodack in which it ruled…

Although Section 2(10) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 includes school districts in the definition of “local government,” both the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management…