LegalServices 20171215.pdf

Van Buren Public Schools

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR LEGAL SERVICES

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part I - Information Provided by the Requester A. Introduction B. Law Firm Qualifications C. Background Information about Van Buren Public Schools D. Proposal Evaluation Criteria E. School District Contacts

Part II – Content of Proposal A. Proposer’s Name and Address B. Summary of Firm’s Expertise C. Individual Attorney Profiles D. Firm References E. Firm Philosophy F. Fees and Billing G. Contract H. Insurance and Bonding See required Bid Attachments below

Part III - Timing Consideration and Administrative Details A. Response to Request for Proposal B. Schedule of Request for Proposal Process

Required Bid Attachments A. Signature Page B. Conflict of Interest Affidavit C. Assurances and Certifications

Request for Legal Services

GENERAL CONDITIONS

SEALED PROPOSALS - Must be received NO LATER THAN THE TIME AND DATE SPECIFIED at the location listed below, at which time they will be opened and read aloud. If a proposal is transmitted by U.S. Mail, or other delivery medium, the bidder shall be responsible for its timely delivery to the designated location. Proposals must be clearly marked “LEGAL SERVICES PROPOSAL.”

DUE DATE: Thursday, January 18, 2017

TIME: 10 a.m.

PLACE: Van Buren Public Schools

555 W. Columbia Avenue

Belleville, Michigan 48111

PROPOSALS RECEIVED AFTER THE APPOINTED TIME WILL NOT BE OPENED.

1. The submission of a proposal will be construed to mean that the bidder is fully informed as to the extent and the character of the services and a representation that the bidder can furnish the service in complete compliance with the specifications.

2. The school district reserves the right to make awards within 90 days after the due date of the bid opening during which time bids may not be withdrawn. Respondents shall not be allowed to modify their proposals after the opening time and date.

3. One clearly-labeled original proposal with a manual signature and five (5) copies of the proposal are to be sealed in one package clearly labeled “LEGAL SERVICES PROPOSALS” on the outside of the package.

4. Failure to submit one original proposal with a manual signature will result in the rejection of the proposal. All proposals shall be signed by an officer or employee having authority to bind the company.

5. The Van Buren Public School District is exempt from all taxes. Exemption certificates, if required, will be furnished on forms provided by the bidder.

6. Verbal discussions of items in the Request for Proposal with the district personnel are not to be construed as changing any of the Request for Proposal requirements. Any changes to the requirements will be communicated in writing to the bidders.

7. The District reserves the right, before awarding the contract, to require a vendor to submit such evidence of qualification as it may deem necessary, and may consider any information available to it, in making the award in the best interest of the District.

8. The district reserves the right to cancel the contract or portions thereof, without penalty for reasons of funding limitations.

GUARANTEES BY THE SUCCESSFUL VENDOR

The successful bidder guarantees:

1. That he/she has carefully checked the enclosed figures and understands that he/she shall be responsible for any error of omission in this bid offer.

2. That he/she has carefully examined the instructions and specifications and will provide this service for the price set forth in this bid.

Van Buren Public Schools

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR LEGAL SERVICES

Part I - Information Provided by the Requester A. Introduction

The Board of Trustees of Van Buren Public Schools is seeking to contract for legal services beginning on or before July 1, 2018. Interested parties are requested to provide proposal information regarding 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 Van Buren Public Schools. To this end, expertise, experience, qualifications of staff, quality of legal services, cost and commitment to the Van Buren Public Schools will be the criteria for evaluation of proposals submitted.

C. Background Information about Van Buren Public Schools

Van Buren Public Schools operates under the Van Buren Public Schools’ Board of Education. The district operates 8 school buildings, serves 4,650 students, and employs over 500 people. The district operates a Great Start Readiness Program (preschool) and Special Education Center Program in addition to our K-12 education program. Van Buren Public Schools operates a $53,800,000 general fund budget, a fleet of 70 buses, and serves 2,350 lunches daily. Van Buren Public Schools employees are affiliated with the following unions:

1. VBEA (Teachers)

2. VBASA (Administrators/Supervisors)

3. VBEST (Maintenance/Custodian, Paraprofessionals, and Transportation

4. VBAES (Secretaries)

5. VBFSA (Food Service staff)

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 law affecting public school districts.

2. Reputation and ability to provide a broad range of legal services promptly and efficiently.

3. Commitment of time and resources to clients and communities they serve.

4. Compatibility of culture and philosophy with that of the Public School.

5. Cost.

6. References.

7. Accessibility of legal staff to Public School representatives, particularly during emergencies.

E. School District Contacts

Any questions regarding the RFP should be directed to:

Shareen Barker; Director of Finance Phone: 734-397-9123 Email: Purchasing@vanburenschools.net

Part II – Content of Proposal

A. Proposer’s Name and Address Provide name of firm submitting proposal, office address, and when organized. Indicate whether the firm is a local, regional, or statewide firm. Indicate whether or not an office is in [COUNTY] County.

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 School District.

1. Public School Legislation and Laws.

2. Freedom of Information Act.

3. Open Meetings Act.

4. Roberts Rules of Order.

5. Corporate and Municipal By-Laws.

6. Contract Negotiations and grievance resolution.

7. 501(c) (3) and other educational foundations.

8. MERC proceedings.

9. Employment policies.

10. Civil Rights and Affirmative Action.

11. Employee discipline.

12. Real estate.

13. Institutional agreements and contract law.

14. Creditor rights.

15. Intellectual property.

16. Litigation.

17. Charitable giving.

18. Taxation.

19. Employee benefits.

20. Student due process, discipline, and suspensions.

21. Law enforcement.

22. Bond counsel services.

23. Government regulations.

24. Environmental regulation.

25. Insurance.

26. State Capital Outlay requirements.

27. Appropriate use policies.

28. Technology acquisition and ownership.

29. Student and employee privacy rights.

30. Special education and 504’s

31. McKinney Vento

C. Individual Attorney Profiles

Indicate the type and number of staff you feel would be assigned to the School District.

Provide concise resume of primary attorneys who would be servicing the School District.

Each resume should include at least two professional references with contact information. Include an assurance that your method of assigning work will ensure that the school district will be served by the same attorney for common legal issues. Please list any complaints filed against these primary attorneys with the State Bar of Michigan, 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 rendering legal services.

F. Fees and Billing

Submit information on how fees will be calculated and the level of detail provided with billings. The School District 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 School District for such an arrangement.

G. Contract

Submit a copy of a suggested contract.

H. Signature Page – Attachment #1

I. 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.

J. Conflict of Interest Affidavit – Attachment #2

K. Assurances and Certifications – Attachment #3

Part III - Timing Consideration and Administrative Details A. Response to Request for Proposal

1. This Request for Proposal does not commit Van Buren Public Schools to award a contract, to pay any cost incurred in the preparation of a proposal in response to this request, or to procure or contract for services. The School District 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 best interest of the School District.

B. Schedule of Request for Proposal Process

The School District anticipates the following schedule for the proposal process:

12/19/2017 Issue Request for Proposal 01/18/2017 Sealed Proposals due by 12:00 p.m.

02/12/2017 Firms interviewed by Finance Committees 02/26/2017 Intended award of contract(s)

SIGNATURE PAGE

This form must be returned, properly executed.

Please use this page as a cover sheet for your bid proposal.

In compliance with the Request for a Proposal made by Van Buren Public Schools, the undersigned proposes to furnish and deliver all services in accordance with the accompanying descriptions and instructions in the

RFP. The undersigned also asserts that:

This proposal is made without any previous understanding, agreement or connection with any other person, firm or corporation making a bid for the same purchase, and is in all respects fair and without collusion or fraud.

No member of the Board of Education of the Van Buren Public Schools (VBPS) nor any officer, employee or person whose salary is payable in whole or in part from the treasury of said Board of

Education is directly or indirectly interested in this proposal or in the services to which it relates, or in any portion of the profits thereof.

All prices herein are net and exclusive of all federal, state and municipal sales and excise taxes.

Said bidder clearly understands that VBPS will be the sole judge in determining the quality of services as being equal to or in compliance with the descriptions set forth in the RFP.

Company:

Name:

Signature of above:

Title:

Address:

Telephone:

Fax Number:

Date:

Are you a small business? Yes _____ No _____

Are you a minority business? Yes _____ No _____

If yes, list minority:

Attachment #1

CONFLICT OF INTEREST AFFIDAVIT

This affidavit is required by state law and complies with the State of Michigan, Act No. 232 of Public Acts of 2004, Enrolled House Bill No. 5376, Sec. 1267, paragraph 3, and sub-paragraph (d), as listed below:

(3) The advertisement for bids (and proposals) shall do all of the following:

State that the bid shall be accompanied by a sworn and notarized statement disclosing any familial relationship that exists between the owner or any employee of the bidder and any member of the board, intermediate school board, or board of directors or the superintendent of the school district, intermediate superintendent of the intermediate school district, or chief executive of the public school academy. A board, intermediate school board, or board of directors shall not accept a bid that does not include this sworn and notarized disclosure statement.

CHECK ONE OF THE TWO BOXES BELOW.

List and describe all existing Conflicts of Interest. (Attach an additional page if necessary.)

To the best of my knowledge, no conflict of interest exists.

Print name of bidder: Signature:

Name of Company: City: State:

NOTARY: State of County of

Sworn to and subscribed before me, a notary public in and for the above state and county, on this

Day of , 20 .

Notary Public

My commission expires:

Seal

Attachment #2

Assurances and Certifications

Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion

The prospective contractor certifies, by submission of this proposal, that neither it nor its principals are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded for from participating in this transaction by any Federal department of agency. Where the prospective contractor is unable to certify to any of the statements in this certification, such prospective contractor shall attach an explanation to this proposal.

Certification Regarding Nondiscrimination Under Federally and State Assisted Programs

The applicant herby agrees that it will comply with all federal and Michigan laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination and, in accordance therewith, no person, on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, age, sex, marital status or handicap, shall be discriminated against, excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination in any program or activity for which it is responsible or for which it receives financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education or the MDE.

Assurance Regarding Access to Records and Financial Statements

The applicant hereby assures that it will provide the pass-through entity, i.e., the Wayne County Regional

Educational Service Agency, and auditors with access to the records and financial statements as necessary for the pass-through entity to comply with Section 400 (d) (4) of the U.S. Department of Education Compliance

Supplement for A-133.

Iran Economic Sanctions Act

The prospective contractor certifies that its organization, by submission of this proposal, is not an Iran Linked

Business. Please refer to the “Iran Economic Sanction Act” Public Act 517 for clarifications or questions.

VBPS as a Michigan public entity is required to follow Public Act 517 of 2012.

Date ____________ _____________________________ _______________

Signature

Attachment #3