Florio Perrucci and the New Jersey School Boards Association Workshop 2022

Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli Tipton & Taylor LLC will be a Signature Sponsor for the New Jersey School Boards Association Workshop 2022 which is being held on October 24-26 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

During the Workshop, attorneys from the firm will be giving several presentations:

• Covid’s Economic Impact of Procurement and Contracting – Tuesday, October 25, 2022 – 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM in the Michigan Avenue Learning Lab. Lester Taylor and Katy Fina will provide a primer on procurement and contracting under the Public School Contracts Law with a focus on navigating the impact of inflation, unstable pricing, and material shortages on awarding and implementing contracts.
• School Safety in a Post-Pandemic World – Tuesday, October 25, 2022 – 1:00 PM – 1:50 PM in Room 420. Caitlin Pletcher and Lauren Lefevre will examine the interplay between the laws and regulations governing school safety, student discipline, and mental health issues and provide a step-by-step approach for school districts to be proactive and compliant.
• Sustainable Jersey for Schools Awards Ceremony – Tuesday, October 25, 2022 – 12:15 p.m. on the Main Stage of Exhibit Hall, Atlantic City Convention Center. Lester Taylor, Chair of the firm’s Education Law Group and Vice Chair of Sustainable Jersey’s Board, will be presenting certification awards to 158 schools that earned bronze and silver certification, 13 schools that earned a Digital Schools Star, as well as recipients of the Sustainability Champion and Sustainability Makes $ense awards.

About the Speakers

Lester Taylor is a Partner at Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli Tipton & Taylor and Chair of the firm’s Education Law Group. He represents counties, municipalities, and boards of education throughout New Jersey in matters related to general counsel services, litigation, labor, employment, and redevelopment. Lester served as Mayor of the City of East Orange, NJ, from 2014-2017. He has received numerous awards and recognition from various civic organizations and often volunteers to speak with students on the importance of education and developing leadership skills. Currently, Lester serves on the Board of Trustees of the Montclair State University Foundation, the Board of Three Doctors Foundation, the Board of the United Way of Greater Newark, the Board of Sustainable Jersey, and the Board of Jersey Water Works. Lester graduated from Montclair State University and Howard University School of Law.

Katharine (Katy) A. Fina is a Partner of the firm focusing her practice on construction litigation, public procurement, and municipal and county law. Fina represents public entities, including municipalities, counties, school boards, and state agencies in all procurement-related matters, including drafting and preparing bid documents; reviewing and evaluating bids; and drafting and negotiating contracts. She also has extensive experience representing both public entities and contractors in construction litigation matters, bid protests and delay damage claims. Fina is a member of the Warren County Bar Association, New Jersey Bar Association, Pennsylvania Bar Association, and the Northampton County Bar Association. Fina graduated from King’s College, summa cum laude, and Albany Law School, cum laude.

Caitlin Pletcher, an experienced school board attorney and Co-Chair of the firm’s Education Law Group, started her legal career at Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli Tipton and Taylor firm and rejoined the firm after serving in the Division of Field Services at the New Jersey Department of Education, where she worked closely with the Executive County Superintendents and 21 County Offices of Education. Pletcher represents boards of education throughout New Jersey in litigation and daily counseling related to special education, student discipline, personnel/employment issues, negotiations, OPRA, and other general counsel matters. She is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association, as well as the Camden County and Burlington County Bar Associations. Pletcher graduated from Boston College in 2005 and Rutgers University Law School—Camden in 2008.

Lauren Lefevre is an associate in the firm’s Education Law and Municipal Law Practice Group. She assists school board and municipal clients in a wide range of matters including day-to-day legal issues, labor and employment, discipline and harassment, governance, OPRA, and public contracting. Prior to joining the firm, Lefevre was employed as an associate counsel with the New Jersey Office of Legislative Services. In this role, She was assigned to work on projects pertaining to school and municipal law in areas including special education, the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights, professional standards and certification requirements, school facilities, public contracts, and municipal land use. Lefevre received her B.S. from the University of Scranton; a Master of Social Work from Rutgers University; and her J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law. She is admitted to practice in New Jersey and New York.