Sheila Skip Nowell Leadership Academy

Request for Proposal for Legal Services

Part I-Information Provided Sheila Skip Nowell Leadership Academy.

A. Introduction

Sheila Skip Nowell Leadership Academy, a Rhode Island independent public charter high school, is seeking to contract for legal services beginning on or before March 2, 2015. Interested parties are requested to provide proposal information reading their experience, qualifications, and fees.

B.        Law Firm Qualifications

The purpose of the request for proposal (RFP) is to assess the overall expertise and efficiency of legal services available to Sheila Skip Nowell Leadership Academy. To this end, expertise, experience, qualifications of staff, quality of legal services, cost and commitment to Sheila Skip Nowell Leadership Academy will be the criteria for evaluation of proposals submitted.

C.        Background Information about Sheila Skip Nowell Leadership Academy

The Academy operates 2 schools with an enrollment of 160 students. The Academy employs 14-20 people. The Academy has $2.5 million in General Fund budget.

D.        Proposal Evaluation Criteria

The following criteria will be used to evaluate proposals. The sequence is not intended to indicate the order of importance or to be comprehensive.

1.         Degree of expertise and experience in areas of the Rhode Island Independent Charter schools

2.         Degree of experience with public charter schools of similar size.

3.         Reputation and ability to provide a broad range of legal services promptly and efficiently. 4.            Commitment of time and resources to clients and communities they serve.

5.         Compatibility of culture and philosophy with that of the Academy.

6.         Cost

7.         References

8.         Accessibility of legal staff to charter school representatives, particularly during emergencies.

E.         Charter school Contact Written questions and inquiries will be accepted from any and all firms. Material questions will be answered in writing and will be distributed to all firms who receive the RFP provided, however, that all questions are received at least 10 days in advance of the proposal due date. Any questions regarding the RFP should be directed to:

Deborah Perry, Nowell BOD Chair

YWCA Rhode Island

514 Blackstone Street

Woonsocket, RI 02895

401-769-7450

Part II-Information Required from Proposer

A.        Proposer’s Name and Address

Provide name of firm submitting proposal, office address, and when organized. Indicate whether the firm ids a local, regional, or statewide firm. Indicate whether or not the firm has an office in Rhode Island.

B.        Summary of Firm’s Expertise

Provide a summary of expertise and experience in each of the areas listed below, as well as any other, which you believe, may be of benefit to the Academy.

School/Charter School Law

1.         Current School Legislation and Laws with a Focus on Priority and Focus School Laws.

2.         Freedom of Information Act

3.         Open Meetings Act

4.         Board Governance Procedures

5.         Corporate and Municipal By-Laws

6.         Contract Negotiations and Grievance Resolution

7.         501(c ) (3) and other Educational Foundations

8.         MERC Proceedings

9.         Employee Discipline

10.     Student Due Process, Discipline, and Suspensions, including all aspects of Special Education Law

11.      Student and employee privacy rights

Employment Law

12.    Affordable Health Care Law

13.    Employment policies

14.    Civil Rights and Affirmative Action

15.    Employee benefits

General Business

16.     Real Estate

17.    Institutional agreements and contract law

18.    Creditor Rights

19.    Intellectual property

20.    Litigation

21.    Charitable giving

22.    Taxation

23.   Law enforcement

24.   Bond counsel services

25.   Government regulations

26.   Environmental regulation

27.   Insurance

28.   State Capital Outlay requirements

29.   Appropriate use policies

30.   Technology acquisition and ownership

C.        Individual Attorney Profiles

Indicate the type and number of staff you feel would be assigned to the Academy. Provide concise resume of primary attorneys who will be servicing the Academy. Each resume should include at least two professional references with contact information. Include that an assurance that your method of assigning work will ensure that the Academy will be served by the same attorney for common legal issues. Please list all complaints against these primary attorneys with the State Bar of Rhode Island, the Attorney Grievance Commission, and the Attorney Discipline Board during the past 5 years, and describe each complaint and its current disposition.

D.        Firm References

Submit a list of professional references and experience with similar clients, including contact information.

E.         Firm Philosophy Summarize the firm’s culture and philosophy with respect to rending legal services.

F.         Fees and Billing

Submit information on how fees will be calculated and the level of detail provided with billings. The Academy may consider using a full service law firm to handle nearly all of its legal services. Please indicate if your proposed fee structure incorporates cost savings to the Academy for such an arrangement.

G.        Contract

Submit a copy of a suggested contract. The terms included in the response to the RFP will be integrated into the contract.

H.        Insurance and Bonding

Submit a Certificate of Insurance showing evidence of the firm’s Errors and Omissions Liability Insurance for limits of omissions liability of at least $1,000,000 aggregate.

I.          Conflict of Interest/Familial Disclosure

Submit a list of contracts which the firm, or its partners, principals, corporate officers or owners currently has with the Academy or with any union or Board member of a School or district in the State of Rhode Island.

Submit a description of any familial relationship that exists between the firm, or its partners, principals, corporate officers or board of directors of the Academy, Head of School, or employee of the School District.

Part III-Timing Consideration and Administrative Details

A.        Response to Request for Proposal

This request for Proposal does not commit the Academy to award a contract, to pay any cost incurred in preparation of a proposal in response to this request, or to procure or contract for services. The Academy reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals received as a result of this request, to negotiate with all qualified sources, or to cancel in part or in its entirety this RFP if it is in the beast interest of the Academy.

B.        Instructions for Submitting Proposals

Each firm shall submit one original proposal and 5 copies of their proposal and one original of the fee proposal. Proposals are to be returned in a sealed envelope. The face of the envelope shall indicate the time and due date of the proposal and the title of the proposal. The original proposal shall be clearly marked original. The fee proposal shall be in a separate sealed envelope marked fee proposal and included in the sealed proposal envelope.

All proposals and fee schedules shall be inked by an authorized principal of the firm.

Proposals must be received by the Academy no later than noon on Monday February 16, 2015. Requests for extension of this time will not be granted. Proposals or unsolicited amendments to proposals received after the due date will not be considered.

Proposals may be mailed or hand delivered to:

Deborah Perry, Nowell BOD Chair

YWCA Rhode Island

514 Blackstone Street

Woonsocket, RI 02895

C.        Schedule of Request for Proposal Process the Academy anticipates the following schedule for the proposal process:

January 7, 2015 -Issue Request for Proposal

February 16, 2015 - Proposals due by 12:00 p.m.

February 17, 2015 through February 27, 2015 -Proposals Reviewed

March 2, 2015 - Intended award of contract(s)