In 2024, NSBA published the inaugural Federal Public School Law Guidebook — the only comprehensive resource focused exclusively on federal law as it applies to K-12 public schools. While many states have their own school law handbooks, NSBA's guidebook fills a critical gap by addressing federal legal issues that impact school districts nationwide.
The book was authored by NSBA’s in-house legal team and edited by constitutional law scholar Derek Black of the University of South Carolina School of Law, along with contributions from distinguished school attorneys across the country. It covers a wide range of topics, including constitutional and federal law, school board authority and governance, funding, curriculum, school safety, operations, liability and immunity, employee and student rights, discipline, special education, religion in schools, and student records, data privacy, and internet use.
In 2025, NSBA released an updated edition of the guidebook. This version includes the original content with important updates reflecting legal developments from 2024 and early 2025. Key additions include analysis of recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and its implementing regulations, and new website accessibility requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The updated edition also addresses changes made by the Trump administration to the 2024 Title IX regulations, as well as its positions on immigration, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), including the release of a Dear Colleague letter and accompanying FAQs.
The 2025 guidebook can be found on the LexisNexis website. A 20% discount is available to members of the NSBA Board, COSA members, members of NSBA member state associations and state association employees, CUBE members, NatCon members, and members of the NSBA equity councils. Please email memberservices@nsba.org for the code!