David leads the firm’s education law group. He represents public and private schools, school boards and colleges and universities throughout Florida in complex transactions, disputes and day-to-day legal needs. He is a Florida Bar Board Certified attorney in Education Law with deep experience serving as general counsel and litigation counsel for public schools. With a thorough understanding of the many challenges faced by elementary and secondary schools, he helps clients anticipate and resolve issues so that they can stay focused on their primary mission of educating children.

David has developed Title IX investigation resources that have been adopted by some of Florida’s largest school districts.

David is an active supporter of public education and is a mentor for children represented by Take Stock in Children, a non-profit organization in Florida that helps low-income youth become the first generation in their family to attend college.

Professional & Community Involvement

• Florida Bar Education Law Committee, Member
• Florida Bar Education Law Certification Committee, Member
• Federal Bar Association, Member
• Federal District Court – Northern District of Florida, Lawyers Advisory Committee, Member
• Florida Track Club, Member

Awards & Recognition

• Super Lawyers Magazine, Super Lawyer, 2014-2015
• Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings: AV Preeminent, 2011
• Super Lawyers Magazine, Rising Star, 2011

Press Mentions

• Alachua County School Board votes to keep children’s book about gender identity on the shelves, WUFT, March 6, 2024
• School board votes to keep book amid citizen divide, Main St. Daily News, March 6, 2024
• “The negativity has got to stop”: Alachua County School Board approves amended contract for Superintendent Andrew on 3-2 vote, Main St. Daily News, February 7, 2024
• Flagler school board fires attorney after months of deliberation, missed deadlines, Daytona Beach News-Journal, January 24, 2024
• School Board fires Attorney Gavin, hires interim firm, Palm Coast Observer, January 23, 2024
• School Board postpones discussion of Superintendent’s contract to January 16, Alachua Chronicle, December 5, 2023
• Alachua County School Board Elects McGraw as Chair, Main St. Daily News, November 7, 2023
• Unions Accuse Agency Of ‘About-Face’ Over Dues Law, Law 360, October 31, 2023
• School Board Members move toward hiring Andrew as permanent Superintendent after heated discussion, Alachua Chronicle, October, 18, 2023
• Alachua County School Board weighs Andrew’s future, Main St. Daily News, October, 18, 2023
• Attorney’s report: District HR chief complaints against Peacock are credible, Observer, June 21, 2023

Presentations

• “Representing the Whole School Board After a Divisive Election: Moving from ‘I’ to ‘We,’” Council of School Attorneys 2023 Spring School Law Seminar, March 31, 2023
• Direct Employment vs. Contracted Law Firm: The Ins and Outs of Hiring Your Board Attorney, FSBA/FADSS 77th Annual Joint Conference, December 1, 2022
• The Perils of Posting, Tips Before Retweeting: Social Media Best Practices for School Board Members, FSBA/FADSS 77th Annual Joint Conference, November 30, 2022
• Title IX In the #MeToo Era, LRP Special Education Conference, January 2019

Reported Decisions

• Winslow v. School Bd. of Alachua Co., 88 So. 3d 112 (Fla. 2012)

Florida, 1997

U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, 2001

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, 1999

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, 1999

University of Florida Levin College of Law, J.D. with honors, 1997

Baylor University, B.A., 1994

Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Education Law, 2013