Agenda Item
b. Hall Booth Smith, P.C., Law Firm Retainer AMENDED TO MONTH TO MONTH ~ UPDATED 1.12.2026
Summary: Presented by: Mr. Byron Schueneman, Chief Financial Officer, Division of Finance
Request: It is requested that that the Board of Education (“Board”) approve the amended contract renewal of Hall Booth Smith, P.C. (“Hall Booth”) as General and SPLOST Counsel, to month to month, at the hourly rate of $250 for partners, $225 for associates and $150 for paralegals, excluding necessary expenses and any necessary complex litigation, which will be determined and authorized by the Board Chair and Superintendent on a case-by-case basis.
Why: Public school systems require sound legal advice on various issues. Therefore, it is prudent for the Board to maintain a law firm they determine to best represent its interests. The renewal of Hall Booth’s contract will enable the DeKalb County School District (“District”) to continue the efficient provision of legal services for general and SPLOST matters.
Details: The Board of Education approved retaining the Hall Booth Smith law firm at its called meeting on December 27, 2022. This approval was pursuant to the District’s Request for Qualifications (“RFQ”) 23-01, entitled District Wide Legal Services, dated October 27, 2022. RFQ 23-01 provides that the contract for legal services will contain four (4) one-year extension options. Since 2022, the Board of Education has renewed, each year, the Hall Booth Smith contract. The most recent renewal was on October 7, 2024. Therefore, the contract is up for renewal on December 27, 2025.
Financial impact: The account code from which the expense will be paid is 100.2300.530002.00011.7080.9990.8010.080.0000.
Contact: Mr. Byron Schueneman, Chief Financial Officer, Division of Finance, 678- 676-0133
Status: Approved by the Office of Legal Affairs
Robert R. Freeman Administrative Complex
1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard
Stone Mountain, GA 30083
_____________________________________________________________________________________
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mr. Byron Schueneman, Chief Financial Officer
Division of Finance
FROM: Dr. Devon Q. Horton, Superintendent
Office of the Superintendent
DATE: October 7, 2024
RE: Renewal of the Hall Booth Smith, P.C., Law Firm Agreement (Year 3 of 5)
At its business meeting on Monday, October 7, 2024, the DeKalb Board of Education approved the contract renewal
of Hall Booth Smith, P.C. (“Hall Booth”) as General and SPLOST Counsel at the hourly rate of $250 for
partners, $225 for associates and $150 for paralegals, excluding necessary expenses and any necessary
complex litigation, which will be determined and authorized by the Board Chair and Superintendent on a case-by-
case basis. This is the third of five one-year optional renewals.
Please take the appropriate action to affect this directive of the Board.
DQH:cm
c: Ms. Carla Smith, Executive Director, Vendor Services, Division of Finance
Ms. Latrice Brown-Shropshire, Purchasing Assistant, Division of Finance