OTTAWA COUNTY, MI – The Allendale Board of Education is considering hiring other law firms to represent the district in addition to Kallman Legal Group, which was recently hired as the district’s legal counsel in a split vote this month.

At a work session Monday, Jan. 23, the board discussed the possibility of hiring more than one law firm to ensure the school district has access to legal expertise on a wide range of specialized areas, like the handling of school elections, bond refinancing, Title IX issues and more.

The discussion over the district’s legal needs on Monday came after a previous Jan. 9 meeting where the board voted 4-3 to replace the district’s longtime legal counsel, Thrun Law, with a Lansing-based firm called Kallman Legal Group.

Kallman Legal Group has a reputation for championing conservative causes in Michigan, challenging a number of the state’s shutdown orders during the pandemic. Allendale Public Schools is currently the only school district under Kallman Legal Group’s representation, attorney David Kallman previously told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press.

After the board hired Kallman Legal Group, Allendale Superintendent Garth Cooper said he called Kallman to discuss areas where the school district has traditionally needed legal expertise, such as school elections, bond refinancing, special education needs, Title IX, and employee needs.

Cooper told the board that Kallman had suggested the district hire other law firms on retainer for certain areas...

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