The Open and Public Records Act ("OPRA") was enacted as a tool to promote transparency in New Jersey government and municipal operations, but as with any tool, OPRA can be subject to misuse.

Under the law, certain Qualified Organizations, such as educational organizations and service clubs, may, upon proper licensure and as part of a fundraising effort, offer Games of Chance.

It will happen to you. If you manage people, you know that everyone makes mistakes and, sometimes, some people intentionally do the wrong thing. It is inevitable that all organizations – big and small – will eventually have to investigate employee misconduct. It is simply a part of doing business. 

For years, employers have grappled with whether or not they were required to grant employees unpaid leaves of absence as reasonable accommodations under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA.)  Some employers simply claimed ignorance of the rules. Lack of information or confusion surrounding the statute is no longer acceptable. 

As you may be aware, the United States Department of Education (hereinafter "USDOE") recently issued guidance related to the educational treatment of students with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (hereinafter "ADHD"). The USDOE reiterated that school districts have an obligation to appropriately evaluate and program for this disability and its impact in the classroom.

On July 13, 2016, the New Jersey State Board of Education adopted regulations as to testing for the presence of lead in drinking water. These regulations have been long-awaited since Governor Christie first announced in May that such testing would be mandatory for all school districts in the State. 

On June 6, 2016, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, Division of Local Government Services, Local Finance Board ("LFB") published a notice of proposed changes to the New Jersey Administrative Code that, if finally adopted, would allow any local unit subject to the "Local Authorities Fiscal Control Law" (N.J.S.A. 40A:5A-1 et seq.) to issue refunding bonds to realize debt service savings without the prior approval of the LFB if certain conditions are present at the time of such refunding and certain other requirements are met ("Proposed Rule Change").

A current hot topic in the Labor and Employment world is the classification, or misclassification, of employees as independent contractors. Misclassification of workers causes less protection for workers and less tax revenue to the federal and state governments.

Just because your employees are paid on a salary basis does not mean they are not entitled to overtime for work over forty hours. The Department of Labor (DOL) is cracking down on inappropriately classified employees, which can cost you as the employer.

Social Media is an integral part of almost every aspect of our lives. We have friends on Facebook, we follow politicians on Twitter, and we network on LinkedIn. Our lives are virtually submerged in social media. The virtual lives that we lead present unique and exciting opportunities for commerce as even the smallest businesses can reach consumers across the globe almost twenty-four-seven at minimal cost.