Top Education Lawyers in ZIP 85012 | 2 available

In my tenure as an education law attorney, I have represented school districts, community colleges, municipalities, CTED's, and charter schools in EEOC, OCR, Attorney General, Auditor General, and internal human resource related investigations. For the same clientele, I drafted intergovernmental agreements, employment contracts, procurement documents, vendor contracts, operating policies, numerous legal alerts, and risk management type advisory documents. I addressed the appropriate governing bodies to give advice concerning Public Records Law, Open Meeting Law, human resource issues, funding issues, litigation strategy, and to address general questions. I engaged in a complex lawsuit concerning protecting public entities from abusive public records requestors, pursuing the cause to the Arizona Court of Appeals. I requested, and received, a formal Arizona Attorney General opinion regarding a education funding matter. I conducted employee termination/disciplinary hearings (including drafting required documents), and addressed FERPA, FMLA, FLSA, ADA (including negotiating reasonable accommodations), Workers' Compensation (including representing entities during hearings), USERRA, and ADEA issues. I also worked with public entities seeking to provide educational courses regarding Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (commonly known as "drones") and interacted with regards to such courses with the FAA. In addition to the above, I drafted meeting agendas, conducted executive sessions with the governing body, drafted procurement documents (including responding to bid protests), responded to public records requestors (including redacting the documents provided), and responded to employee/public grievances.. Prior to working as an education law attorney, I worked for the Arizona Attorney General's Office in the Protective Services Section.  I managed a case load of over eighty (80) cases regarding child dependency and termination of parental rights matters. This representation involved drafting of pretrial motions, appearing at numerous hearings, bench trials, interacting with multiple governmental agencies, engaging in mediation, and addressing discovery requests.

Alden chairs the firm’s Employment and Education Law Departments. She assists employees and employers with wage and hour disputes, harassment and discrimination claims, restrictive covenant disputes, whistleblower claims, and federal and state compliance issues. In her education practice, she assists students and educators with residency, tuition, disability accommodation, discrimination and retaliation, disciplinary matters, and tenure and promotion disputes. Alden has substantial experience representing clients in state and federal court, private arbitration, mediation, and in administrative proceedings. Her wide array of experience affords her unique insight into how to best protect her clients’ interests.. Alden has been recognized as a Southwest Super Lawyer Rising Star, Best Lawyers One to Watch, and Phoenix Magazine Top Attorney. Before entering private practice, she clerked for the Honorable Patricia Orozco (Ret.) at the Arizona Court of Appeals.. Alden enjoys giving back to her community and currently serves on the Board of Directors for Audrey’s Angels and volunteers for the Times Up Legal Defense Fund. She has also coached multiple undergraduate and law school moot court teams. In 2017, the ASU Law Moot Court Board named her the Coach of the Year after her Representation in Mediation team placed third at the ABA’s national competition. Alden won the national championship as a competitor in law school.