Somerset County Board of Education Attorneys: Do You Know What They Charge?

Fellow Editors
Oct 12
3 min read

As with any Board of Education, every elected Board has an attorney to represent and advise the school district on legal matters. In Somerset County, there is no exception. But what do the attorneys get paid? There have been a few uneducated comments about the Board attorneys in Somerset, but we never take anyone's word for it. We do our homework.

In February of 2025, the Somerset County Board of Education selected a new law firm to represent them. Normally, a board can engage any attorney it wants at any time. Generally, no one else has a standing to challenge which attorney the board selects to represent them. That includes the superintendent, any member of the public, or school system administration even though the superintendent's signature is required to sign off on contracts (but cannot be unreasonably withheld). The superintendent does not have any veto power over who the Board selects as their attorney.

An attorney-client relationship is between the Board and their selected attorney, and is confidential in nature. Although the Board can publish a Request For Proposal (RFP) for legal services, it is not required.

But What Do Attorneys Normally Charge?

If anyone has hired an attorney, they know that an attorney typically charges $350/hr. on the Eastern Shore, and $500/hr. across the bridge. When municipalities contract for legal services, there is typically a discount for hourly services due to the fact that legal services are needed on a regular and consistent basis.

But what rate does the Somerset County Board of Education have?

PRIOR ATTORNEYS:

CURRENT ATTORNEYS:

I understand their rate is less, but don't they drive a long distance to travel to Somerset?

PRIOR ATTORNEY (Annapolis):

CURRENT ATTORNEY (Stevensville):

But what about attorney qualifications for hire?

There is no such thing as an "Education Attorney." Any attorney that is a member of the Maryland Bar Association is qualified to handle all aspects of law, including federal, state, and local. No attorney may claim to be a specialized expert in any area of law, as specified under Maryland's Rules of Professional Conduct. If they do, it can result in disbarment.

Maryland Rules of Professional Conduct

It is not a matter of qualification, but a matter of ability. Each and every legal case is different. An attorney has to make it their business to understand each individual case, find the law, understand the law, research precedent, and apply the law to the specific case. This applies in any area of law. The ability to effectively do this is what separates a good attorney from a bad one.

But what about experience?

Experience is a selection criterion that people examine when hiring an attorney. Experience is independent of qualifications and ability, although they go hand in hand. The Board selected their current attorneys because they have educational experience in the classroom, a financial background, and also serving on a Board of Education. For a complete bio of experience, you can visit the link below:

Somerset County BOE Engages New Legal Representation

As a result of the Board hiring a new law firm, the district now has a much lower rate and greater level of value based on the skillset and thorough effort devoted to each case. There is no rule that a Board is required to select the least expensive attorney, but a Board is to be mindful of all aspects when responsibly selecting one.

I know their rate is less, but what about the total amount of legal bills for the district?

When hiring the new superintendent in 2024, her actions caused a large volume of grievances, complaints, and matters which involve legal work. As long as people file illegitimate complaints, Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) requests seeking public documents from the school system, complaining to the Office of the Inspector General for Education (OIGE), creating false narratives of the violations of the Open Meetings Act, etc., all requires diligent time consuming legal analysis and work. This takes countless hours, which is reflected on the attorney's legal bill. The public should be aware that their political games only create a greater need for attorney services that result in a larger bill, which truly proves that time is money.

Fellows & Editors

October 12, 2025

Copyright DelmarvaPTC.org. Please consider subscribing to the Delmarva Parent Teacher Coalition and follow us on FaceBook to stay informed of what's really happening with education in our schools.