At the 2011 Bradley F. Kidder School Law Conference in Concord, New Hampshire, Jerry Zelin was presented with the prestigious Brad Kidder Award. This is an occasionally-awarded honor given to a NH school attorney who has played a significant role in advancing the position of school law in the State of New Hampshire over a long period of time. It is the highest honor that a school attorney can receive, and very few are so honored.
The presentation was eloquently made by Attorney Gordon Graham and heralded Jerry's work with the NH Legislature, with state regulatory agencies, and on behalf of schools generally. The award reflected not only his work in special education, which is great and deep, but also in the area of student residency rules and the rights of students in juvenile proceedings.
Jerry's NH school law career spans more than 35 years, during which time he has successfully represented school districts in a multitude of hearings before the New Hampshire Department of Education, in some of New Hampshire’s leading court cases involving student issues, and in investigations conducted by state and federal agencies. He helped write many of New Hampshire’s statutes and State Board of Education rules governing students and now serves on the National School Boards Association Council of School Attorneys committee that will advise Congress in rewriting the federal special education statute.
