Kara R. Walton a Partner in Lozano Smith's San Diego office. Ms. Walton represents public school district clients on labor and employment issues, and advises school boards on a wide variety of governance matters.
Experience
Ms. Walton frequently represents school districts in personnel matters for both certificated and non-certificated employees, including labor union relations and grievances. She also regularly serves as general counsel to districts, advising and assisting with litigation matters and key governance issues.
Presenter Experience
Ms. Walton is an experienced presenter and trainer for K-12 public school districts and community colleges on the topics of sexual harassment prevention, mandated reporter duties, Title IX, grievance and complaint procedures, and updates of labor laws.
Education
Ms. Walton earned her J.D. from Whittier Law School, a Master of Science in Educational Leadership and Administration from California State University, Fullerton, and a Bachelor of Arts from San Diego State University. Ms. Walton also served as an educator in Tustin Unified School District for ten years prior to becoming an attorney.
The decision of who conducts an investigation carries important legal implications and shapes how the process unfolds. In this episode, host Sloan Simmons is joined by Lozano Smith attorneys Trevin Sims and Kara Walton to explore how public agencies approach selecting internal, outside, and attorney investigators and how those choices can affect confidentiality and attorney-client privilege. The discussion covers disclosure decisions around how investigative findings are shared or released, and how those choices can affect whether information remains protected or subject to waiver. Join us as we examine practical considerations for managing investigations while balancing transparency, privilege, and related legal obligations.
Designed for new administrators and/or those new to the bargaining table, co-host Joshua Whiteside is joined by Lozano Smith attorneys Daniel McElhinney and Kara Walton to discuss the basics of bargaining. Topics include figuring out who should be on the bargaining team, how to identify a lead negotiator, what type of contract negotiations can occur, and strategies to foster good processes and outcomes.
