Profile

Candace is co-chair of the firm's school law practice. She represents school districts, private schools, colleges, universities, corporations and individuals. She has successfully represented clients in the courts of New York State, federal court, New York State Education Department impartial hearings, New York State Commissioner of Education appeals, and U. S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) investigations.

Candace has provided general counsel services and litigation services to some of the largest school districts and universities in New York State. Her experience includes policy development, contracts, school board elections, employee disciplinary proceedings, student residency requirements, special education and student disciplinary hearings. She also has extensive experience defending clients in a variety of civil litigation matters.

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  • Listed in:
    • New York Metro Super Lawyers®, Rising Star, 2018, 2020 - 2022
  • Power 25 Lawyer, Long Island Business News, 2021
  • Who's Who: Women in Professional Services, Long Island Business News, 2020
  • Top 50 Women in Business Award, Long Island Business News, 2019
  • Ones to Watch Law, Long Island Business News, 2019
  • 40 Under Forty Honoree, Long Island Business News, 2018
  • Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department Grievance Committee for the Tenth Judicial District, Member, 2020-2023
  • New York State Association of School Attorneys, Board of Directors, 2022
  • New York State Bar Association, Task Force on Mandatory COVID Vaccination and Safeguarding Public Health
  • New York State Bar Association, President’s Committee on Access to Justice
  • Nassau County Bar Association, Former Chair, Education Law Committee
  • Long Island Hispanic Bar Association, Board of Directors
  • Suffolk County Bar Association, Pro Bono Foundation
  • Amistad Long Island Black Bar Association Executive Committee
  • American University, Washington College of Law, Moot Court Honor Society

  • Matter of School Administrators Association of New York State v. New York State Department of Civil Service, et al., 2013 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1956 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. 2013) (successfully argued that claims against the defendant school district should be dismissed in a matter regarding health insurance coverage)
  • Invention Submission Corporation t/d/b/a InventHelp v. IP Watchdog, Inc., et al., Civil Action No. 5:10-cv-74 (N.D.N.Y. 2010) (served as local counsel for plaintiff in a federal lawsuit alleging that defendants made untrue statements that constituted unfair business practices; reached a mutually satisfactory settlement agreement between the plaintiff and defendants)

  • Match Game – Identifying and Resolving Mental Health Issues Among Students and Staff, 22nd Annual School Attorney Law Conference, New York State Assocation of School Attorneys, June 3, 2023
  • R-E-S-P-E-C-T!: The Legal Rights of LGBTQ+ Students, 2023 Annual School Law Conference, The Nassau Academy of Law, March 24, 2023
  • Ed Law 2023, Westchester Putnam School Boards Association, March 16 and March 23, 2023
  • Panelist, Roads and Roadblocks to Leadership Roles for Women in Accounting, Finance and Law, Accountants Club of America, October 18, 2022
  • Ed Law 2022, Westchester Putnam School Boards Association, March 24, 2022
  • Social Media Ethics for School Attorneys, The New York State Association of School Attorneys, February 16, 2022
  • District Clerk Workshop, Westchester Putnam School Boards Association, February 10, 2022
  • Regulation of Student (and Cheerleader) Speech, “F—k School”? SCOTUS Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L., New York State Bar Association, July 22, 2021
  • Ethics of Witness Preparation in Employment Discrimination Cases, Practising Law Institute, June 14, 2021
  • CoBiz Richmond, Great Diversity Series, October 20, 2020
  • Freedom of Speech in the Workplace, Chambers and Partners Employment Series, September 29, 2020
  • Panelist, Un Futuro Más Brillante (A Brighter Future): Increasing Access to Education for the Latinx Community, Thomson Reuters Legal Executive Institute, September 22, 2020
  • COVID-19 Labor Issues as School Personnel Return to Work, Long Island Association of School Personnel Administrators, Part 1: July 29, 2020; Part 2, August 5, 2020
  • Podcast, Women of Color Share How to Gain Visibility Through Volunteer Leadership, Thomson Reuters Legal Executive Institute, April 6, 2020
  • Panelist, Leveraging Volunteer Leadership to Gain Visibility Webinar, Ms. JD and the Legal Executive Institute’s Transforming Women’s Leadership Initiative, March 3, 2020
  • Legal Update for School Personnel Administrators, Orange-Ulster BOCES, February 11, 2020 
  • 20/20 Vision on Employment Law: Looking Back on the Important Employment Laws of 2019 and Looking Ahead to Potential Changes in 2020 Webinar, The Commission on Independent Colleges & Universities in New York, January 21, 2020
  • Women on the Move, New York State Bar Association, Albany, NY, October 23, 2019
  • Human Resources Update, The Commission on Independent Colleges & Universities in New York Regional Meeting, October 15, 2019
  • Radio Interview, Live on LI in the AM with Jay Oliver, April 22, 2019
  • Panelist, Front Burner Legal Issues and Negotiations Trends, Westchester Putnam School Board Association's 2019 Ed Law Workshop, March 22, 2019
  • Sexual Harassment in the Era of Viral News, National Business Officers Association, February 7, 2019
  • Conference Co-Chair, Annual School Law Conference, December 7, 2018
  • Panel Member, Recent Initiatives to Address School Safety Issues and the Legal Implications, Annual School Law Conference, December 7, 2018
  • New Year, New(ish) Laws: a Practical Guide to New York’s Sexual Harassment Law and New York’s Paid Family Leave Act, Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU), August 15, 2018
  • ABC, 123: Education Law Primer, Bridge-the-Gap, The Nassau Academy of Law, March 4, 2018
  • Getting Your Fair Share: Dealing With a Board of Education Regarding a Commercial or Residential Property Development Within a School District's Boundaries, Nassau County Bar Association - Education Law Committee, February 26, 2018
  • Conference Chair and Moderator, “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” - Evolving Issues in Athletics and Extracurricular Activities: Concussions and Clearance, Mixed Competition Appeals and Transgender Issues, 2017 Annual School Law Conference, December 8, 2017
  • Negotiations and Legal Issues: Trends, Policies and Practices, Westchester Putnam School Boards Association Conference, June 1, 2017
  • School Law Legal Update, Westchester Putnam School Boards Association District Clerk Workshop, March 1, 2017
  • Panel Moderator, Students in Crisis (mandatory reporting obligations, CPS, etc.), Nassau and Suffolk Academies of Law and the Education Law Committees of the Nassau and Suffolk County Bar Associations 2016 Annual School Law Conference, December 9, 2016
  • Program Co-Chair, Nassau and Suffolk Academies of Law and the Education Law Committees of the Nassau and Suffolk County Bar Associations 2015 Annual School Law Conference, December 14, 2015
  • Transgender Students and Employees, Suffolk and Nassau Academies of Law and the Education Law Committees 2015 Annual School Law Conference, December 14, 2015

  • Quoted in "Long Island Schools Alert Parents, Guardians to Changes in Immunization Rules," Newsday, August 3, 2019
  • "What School Leaders Need to Know About the New Red Flag Law," New York State School Boards Association, June 10, 2019
  • "Immigrant Students, ICE and the Role of Public Schools," Nassau Lawyer, July/August 2017
  • “Trump Administration Rescinds Federal Guidance on Transgender Bathroom Use,” The Suffolk Lawyer, April 2017
  • “U.S. Supreme Court Deliberates Important Special Education Case,” The Suffolk Lawyer, March 2017
  • “Transgender Students’ Name Change Requests,” The Suffolk Lawyer, December 2015
  • “Defending Tuition Reimbursement Claims,” The Suffolk Lawyer, May 2015
  • “Behind the Headlines: Immunizations, Religion and Schools,” The Suffolk Lawyer, March 2015
  • “Public School’s DASA Duty to Private School Student,” The Suffolk Lawyer, February 2015
  • “Sex Offenders on School Property,” New York State School Board’s On Board, January 26, 2015