Attorney Profiles

Juan J. Cruz
Laredo, Texas

Partner
phone	(956) 717-1300
fax	(956) 717-0539
email	Email Me

Juan J. Cruz focuses his practice on the areas of School Law, Employment Law and General Litigation. He serves as general counsel to various government entity clients and is experienced in handling of employment defense claims, contractual issues, and advising administrators on various issues of school and employment law. Mr. Cruz has appellate court experience as well as first and second chair trial experience.

Areas of Practice:: Education; Labor & Employment; Local Government; General Civil Practice

Bar Admissions:: Texas, 1995; U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas; U.S. District Court Western District of Texas; U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas; U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas

Education:: University of Houston Law Center, Houston, Texas, 1995
J.D.; University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, 1991
B.A.

Published Works:: The Texas Workers' Compensation Act: The Texas Anti-Retaliation Law, School Law Update, Volume II, No. 3, 1998; The Commissioner Clarifies Approach for Termination of Probationary Contract Employees, School Law Update, Volume II, No. 6, 1998; Suing and Defending Governmental Entities, Advanced Personal Injury Law Course, State Bar of Texas, 1999; Did Johnny Go Too Far? The Supreme Court Speaks on Student on Student Sexual Harassment, The Young Lawyer Connection, Defense Research Institute, 1999; Leaving Your Current Employer, For The Defense, Defense Research Institute, 2000; Measuring Who Is Disabled Under the American With Disabilities Act, The Young Lawyer Connection, Defense Research Institute, 2000; Family Medical and Leave Act: Past, Present and Future, The Young Lawyer Connection, Defense Research Institute, 2001; E-Mail Liabilities/Employee Privacy Issues, HR Management Seminar Emerging Issues, 2001; No Pee, No Play: Student Searches and Seizure, The Young Lawyer Connection, Defense Research Institute, 2002

Classes/Seminars Taught:: Effective Documentation for Personnel Decisions, TASA/TASB Annual Conference, 2002 - Present; Legal Review of Working with Your Community, Employees and Media, TASA/TASB Annual Conference, 2004 - Present; Beware of Vendors Bearing Gifts, TASA/TASB Annual Conference, 2005 - Present; Understanding Board-Superintendent Relationships, Region 1 School Board Conference, South Padre Island, 2005 - Present; Avoiding Personal and Criminal Liability for Board members and Administrators, Region 1 School Board Summer Conference, 2006 - Present; The Board's Role in Hiring-Firing School Employees, Region 1 School Board Conference, South Padre Island, 2006 - Present; Bullying in Today's Instant-Messenger World, Border Counselors Association Conference, 2006 - Present; Update on Texas Attorney General Decisions, University of Texas School Law Conference, 2007 - Present; Employment and Immigration Issues Affecting Public School Employers, National School Boards Association Council of School Attorneys, 2007 - Present; Procedures for Addressing Grievances for School Districts Employees Rights and Duties; How to Conduct Effective and Legal Investigations; Update: Teacher Termination/Nonrenewal Sexual Harassment Guidelines for Employers Selected Areas of Administrator Responsibility Coordinating Employee Leave of Absences; Administrator Responsibility Coordinating Employee Leave of Absences; The Texas Open Meetings Act Board Members: Powers and Duties Understanding the Family and Medical Leave Act; Understanding the Wage and Hour Laws; Understanding Who is Covered Under the ADA and Reasonable Accommodations; Wrongful Discharge in Texas; Dealing with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; Preventive Law: School Law in a Nutshell; Preventive Law: Avoiding Employment Claims and Lawsuits; Compliance with the HIPAA Monster...Privacy Rules for Employers; Ten Tips: The Professional Development and Appraisal System; 2 Top 10 Lists to Remember; School Board Policies You Should Know; Avoiding the Legal Pitfalls - A Prime for Administrators; Legal Issues Involved in the Transportation of Public School Students; She Doesn't Like My Flip Flops - The Grievance Process; FERPA and Parental Rights and Responsibilities; Student Search and Seizure; New Legislation from the 79th Legislative Session; The Public Information Act; When It Takes a Village to Raise a Child, Who In the Village Has a Right to Custody of a Student or to the Student's Records?; Legal Issue Regarding Bullying in Public Schools; Ethical and Legal Issues for School Counseling; Educator Legal Liability in Texas; The Family and Medical Leave Act and Other Leave Laws; Documents: A Review of the Texas Education Code and Commissioner of Education Decisions; HB1: A New Era of the Financial and Academic Accountability; Fair Labor Standards Act; Sexual Harassment: What is it? and What Do you Do?

Professional Associations and Memberships:: Texas Association of Defense Counsel; Member; Defense Research Institute; Member, Young Lawyers Publications Committee; San Antonio Bar Association; Member; Defense Counsel of San Antonio, 1999 - 2000; Member, Board of Directors; State Bar of Texas School Law Section; Member; American Bar Association; Member; University of Houston Law Alumni Association; Member; Hispanic National Bar Association; Member; Mexican-American Bar Association; Member; Webb County Bar Association; Member; Texas Association of School Boards Council of School Attorneys, 2004 - 2007; Member, Board of Directors; National School Board Association Council of School Attorneys; Member; Education Law Association; Member; University of Texas School Law, 2003 - 2007; Planning Committee