Michelle L. Cannon
Partner | Sacramento
Attorney InsightsMore from Michelle L. Cannon
mcannon@lozanosmith.com
Tel: 916.329.7433
Fax: 916.329.9050
Vcard |
Bio
Overview
Michelle L. Cannon is a Partner in Lozano Smith's Sacramento office and co-chairs the firm's Labor and Employment Practice Group. Ms. Cannon works closely with school districts, county offices of education and community colleges in all areas of education law. She is an active member in the Labor & Employment, Students, Community Colleges, Charter Schools and Litigation Practice Groups. Ms. Cannon represents clients in all areas of education law, and has extensive experience in board governance, labor and personnel-related matters, student discipline, and charter school facilities. She was named to the Northern California Super Lawyers list each year from 2013 to 2018, and a Top Lawyer in Schools & Education by Sacramento Magazine from 2016 to 2020.Ms. Cannon's practice focuses on representing public entity clients in the following areas:
- General governance
- Brown Act issues
- Conflicts of interest
- Public Records Act
- Labor and personnel-related matters
- Employee discipline and dismissal
- Collective bargaining
- First Amendment issues
- Investigation of discrimination and harassment complaints
- Certificated and classified employee issues
- Student issues
- Student discipline
- First Amendment issues
- Search and seizure related to students
- Charter school issues
- Review of charter petitions
- Revocation of charters
- Charter school facilities
- Litigation
- Sexual discrimination
- Sexual harassment
- Wrongful termination
- First Amendment issues
- 42 U.S.C. section 1983 claims
- Contract disputes
- Writs and appeals in both state and federal courts
Additional Experience
Michelle has worked extensively in the collective bargaining arena in various roles. These roles include, but are not limited to, working as a facilitator in Interest Based Bargaining, acting as lead negotiator in the creation of new contracts, and advising clients through impasse proceedings.Ms. Cannon has also prosecuted numerous successful permanent certificated and classified termination proceedings. Ms. Cannon was recently published in the Daily Journal as a co-author of an article entitled "The Right to Education in California: It's for the Legislature to Decide Education Policy."
Presenter Experience
Ms. Cannon is a frequent speaker at workshops and CSBA and ACSA conferences. She regularly presents on topics such as sexual harassment prevention training, board issues, including the Brown Act and conflicts of interest, collective bargaining, discrimination, employee discipline and dismissals, student discipline, certificated employee lay off procedures, First Amendment issues, and charter schools.Professional Affiliations
- Board Member, Roseville Chamber of Commerce
- Board Member, Roseville City School District Foundation
- Member, California School Boards Association
- Member, California Council of School Attorneys
- Member, Placer County Bar Association
- Member, Sacramento County Bar Association
- Member, California State Bar Association
- Member, Animal Legal Defense Fund
Education
Ms. Cannon received her law degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. She earned a B.A. from St. Mary's College of California. Ms. Cannon has received certification through ATIXA as a participant in Level 1 and Level 3 ATIXA Civil Rights Investigator Trainings.Layoffs Under SB 98
New Title IX Regulations Issued by the Department of Education Take Effect August 14, 2020
Ninth Circuit Rejects Constitutional Challenge to School Safety Plan Allowing Transgender Student Use of Single Sex Facilities
Framework for Labor-Management Collaboration Jointly Issued by Governor and Statewide Organizations
Complainants Now Have 3 Years To File Charge Of Employment Discrimination
AB 1353 Limits Classified Employee Probationary Period To Maximum Of Six Months
State Clarifies Compliance Timeline For Employer Harassment Prevention Training
AB 5: New Law Further Limits Employers' Ability To Classify Workers As Independent Contractors
Supreme Court Curtails Availability Of Defense To Employers In Employment Discrimination Cases
Colleges Have a Duty to Warn or Protect Students from Foreseeable Violence
Vanquishing "Vaping" on Campus
New Requirements for Placing Community College Employees on Paid Leave
Significant New Title IX Guidance on Handling Sexual Misconduct: What Schools Need to Know
Court Reaffirms Undocumented Students' Eligibility for Higher Education Aid Programs
Governor Signs New Law Requiring Schools to Adopt Pupil Suicide Prevention Policies
A Recent Federal Court Ruling Clarifies that Discrimination Claims Based on Sexual Orientation Are Covered Under Title IX as Sex Discrimination Claims
Significant Cases
- Cole v. Oroville Union High School District (9th Cir. 2000) 228 F.3d 1092 - Assisted in the successful defense of a Northern California school district's decision not to allow graduates to deliver a sectarian invocation and proselytizing co-valedictorian speech.
- PLANS, Inc. v. Sacramento City Unified School District (9th Cir. 2003) 319 F.3d 504 - Successfully defended the school district's innovative Waldorf Methods instruction in public schools.