The MREA Legal Option Pays for Itself in Short Order
Subscribing to the MREA Legal Option is one of the most cost effective decisions a school district can make. With most attorneys experienced in school law charging well over $100.00 per hour for their time, this optional service provided to MREA members pays for itself in a matter of a few phone calls. Even if your district already subscribes to another legal service, we believe that it is important, in today’s climate, to consider the value of having easy access to a “second opinion”.
MREA’s Legal Option is the only one of its kind in Montana
MREA’s attorney serve the needs of our schools under an independent contract from their own offices. Rich Batterman is the owner of Batterman Law Offices, P.C., a general practice law firm with offices in Baker, and Glendive, Montana. Few educators understand the value of an education attorney have experience as a County Attorney. For many years Rich served as the county attorney for Fallon and Carter Counties. Rich is a Montana native as he grew up in Glendive.
The Legal Option is telephone consultation service for school district members of MREA. Legal option participants can expect a return call from Rich within 24 hours. The legal option program allows for unlimited telephone consultation with a school attorney over a period of one year under certain conditions set forth below. The cost of the service is a one-time flat fee equivalent to 50% of a member’s MREA dues, with a minimum fee of $100.00. The program is offered on a yearly basis from July 1 to June 30. The district can call the attorney directly when legal questions arise; the lawyer will check the option list before billing your district and will keep track of all time and phone services provided. The lawyer will provide you with a record of your use of the option at any time.
This legal option retainer covers all telephone consultation services with the designated lawyer. As is the case with any other education attorney or legal service, the Legal Option does not cover in-depth research, the preparation of documents, written opinions, or telephone consultations in conjunction with the lawyer’s representation of the district on a discrete matter, such as a county superintendent hearing, lawsuit, contract negotiations, or similar in-depth representation. The option does cover the review of documents mailed or faxed to our office in conjunction with a request for legal consultation.
It should be noted that use of the legal option does not guarantee that the legal option lawyer will be available for litigation in which the district becomes involved. The legal option lawyer will, however, advise you as soon as it becomes apparent that litigation is a possibility and, if the lawyer cannot take the case, will assist your district in securing competent counsel for the case. Should another attorney handle your case, telephone consultation on the matter would still be available with the legal option attorney. If the legal option attorney does take your case, you will be billed for all work and consultations relative to that case.
Contact MREA’s Legal Option
Rich Batterman
Office: 406-778-3006
Fax: 406-778-3007
Click here to Email Rich
(Updated 8/2016)