PRACTICES
Board Ethics, Transparency and Accountability (BETA)
What We Do
Demonstrating good governance, strong ethics and accountability, and maintaining the public’s trust, confidence and respect are all paramount for governing boards. Our BETA group includes experienced attorneys who regularly advise governing boards and officials on the full scope of ethics, governance and leadership issues. We understand the nuances, intersections and interconnections of these issues as well as the important public functions these laws serve.
Our BETA attorney experts do a lot to help governing boards:
- Brown Act requirements
- Parliamentary procedure
- California Public Records Act (CPRA) requests and disputes
- Conflicts of interest, including conflicts and disclosure under the Political Reform Act and Government Code section 1090
- Election procedures, campaign and informational activity
- California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) compliance
- Joint projects or agreements collaborating with other public agencies
- Complaint investigation and procedures
- Board policy, administrative regulation and resolution development and revision
- Legislative action
- Audits, grand jury and other “watchdog” proceedings
- Territory transfers and the district reorganization process
- Administrative agency investigation and enforcement proceedings
- Coordination of the functions of individual board members with the board as a unit
- Public relations and crisis management
Board Ethics, Transparency and Accountability – the DWK Way
- We understand that governing board and governance issues can be sensitive, high profile and consequential
- We pride ourselves on using our expertise and depth of experience to provide boards with practical, creative and solid legal advice
- We represent the interests of the full board as a decision-making body, and when problems arise between board members, or when assistance is needed to navigate the relationship between the full board and the rights and conduct of individual members, we stand ready to provide support and helpful counsel
- Because the legal requirements that control the work of boards can sometimes be judged harshly in the court of public opinion; we counsel boards and officials to achieve full compliance with these laws and to accomplish the public’s business for the benefit of students, valued employees, communities and other stakeholders.
Sample Trainings and In-Services
- Brown Act & Meeting Procedure
- Application of the California Voting Rights Act
- The District Reorganization Process
- Acceptance & Disclosure of Gifts by Public Officials
- Conflicts of Interest & Board Ethics
- Role of the Governing Board & Board Members
- Election & Campaign Activity
Interested in scheduling a training for your team?