John E. Croot, Jr., ESQ.

John E. Croot, Jr., a partner in the firm, has over 35 years of experience representing public school districts as Board Counsel or Special Counsel.

Mr. Croot counsels clients in all aspects of school law and related fields, including issues related to: tenure and seniority, FMLA and NJFLA, contract negotiation and interpretation, public bidding, student discipline, HIB, student residency, the Open Public Meetings Act, the Open Public Records Act, lease and purchase of school facilities, and the review and drafting of policies and by-laws. Mr. Croot also has extensive experience representing public sector clients in labor negotiations.

Mr. Croot regularly represents boards of education in litigation before the Superior Court of New Jersey, the United States District Court, the Office of Administrative Law, Commissioner of Education, Public Employment Relations Commission, New Jersey Division on Civil Rights, Division of Workers Compensation, United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights and the Government Records Council.

Mr. Croot lectures frequently on school law issues for the New Jersey School Boards Association, the New Jersey Association of School Business Officials, the New Jersey State Bar Association, and the Institute for Continuing Legal Education. He is the author of several articles on education law that have been published in the School Leader, the magazine of the New Jersey School Boards Association.

Mr. Croot is the Immediate Past President of the New Jersey Association of School Attorneys, having served as President from 2020 to 2022. He is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale Hubbell.

Mr. Croot is admitted to the bars of New Jersey and New York, as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

He is a graduate of the Fordham University School of Law and Rutgers College.