Neal Ramee is a partner in Tharrington Smith’s Education Section. He received his undergraduate degree in philosophy from the University of Virginia and his law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law, where he was inducted into the Order of the Coif. While in law school, Mr. Ramee served as Managing Editor of the First Amendment Law Review and as an Honors Writing Scholar. Before joining the firm in 2005, he served for two years as a law clerk to Justice Mark Martin at the North Carolina Supreme Court. Mr. Ramee has litigated cases in state and federal court involving the First Amendment, contract and employment disputes, student assignment, the Fair Labor Standards Act, negligence claims, and federal civil rights issues, among other matters. His practice is dedicated to education law, with a particular focus on the state and federal constitutions, appellate practice, student discipline, student assignment, and immigration issues arising in the public school context.
University of North Carolina School of Law
- Juris Doctor, 2003
- Order of the Coif, 2003
- First Amendment Law Review, Managing Editor, Honors Writing Scholar, 2002-2003
University of Virginia
- North Carolina Supreme Court, law clerk to Justice Mark Martin, 2003-2005
- University of North Carolina School of Law, Adjunct Professor, Legal Reasoning and Writing 8/2008-5/2011
- North Carolina State Bar, 2003
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, 2005
- United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, 2005
- North Carolina Bar Association
- Education Law Section, 2008
- Constitutional Rights & Responsibilities Section
- North Carolina Council of School Attorneys, Member, 2005
- National Council of School Attorneys, Member, 10/11/2005
- American Immigration Law Association, Member, 5/19/2011
North Carolina Bar Association, Education Law Section
- Secretary/Treasurer 2007-2008
- Editor of its publication, Education Law 2006
- “The Law of School Assignment,” presented at the 2010 North Carolina Bar Association’s Family Law Conference in Charleston, SC in May. These materials were part of a Continuing Legal Education program of the North Carolina Bar Association. All rights reserved.
- School Law Basics for Family Law Practitioners, North Carolina Bar Association Family Law Section Annual Meeting (May 7, 2010)
- Capital Lease Financing for North Carolina Public Schools, University of North Carolina School of Government, Annual School Attorneys’ Conference (Feb. 2, 2007)
- New(er) Ways to Finance School Construction, University of North Carolina School of Government Annual Finance Officers’ Conference (March 9 2007)
- Student Religious Clubs and the Equal Access Act, North Carolina School Boards Association Fifteenth Annual Law Conference (Oct. 20, 2006)
- Presentation to North Carolina General Assembly Finance Committee on sales tax reimbursement for local education agencies (July 2, 2008)
- Student Misuses of Technology: Practical and Legal Issues for School Administrators (various school districts, 2010)
- The Law of Student Assignment in North Carolina (various school districts, 2008 to 2010)
- Legal Custody Issues for School Administrators (Brunswick County Schools, Oct. 2009)
- Student Records and Confidentiality Issues (Person County Schools, Sept. 2010)
- Litigation Prevention Strategies and Internal Investigations, North Carolina Public Schools Risk Management Academy Annual Conference (January 2013)
- Access to Student Information: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (NCSBA Conference, March 2014)
- “Confidential Personnel Information: Civil and Criminal Liability.” published in Education Law, Volume 18, Number 2, (North Carolina Bar Association, March 2006)
- Faires, et al v. State Board of Elections, et al., No. 84A16 (May 6, 2016)
- Hardy, et al v. Vance County Board of Education, et al, NC Ct. App. No. COA11-1418 (June 19, 2012)
- Hardy, Bryant, Bullock, et. al. v. Vance County Board of Education, NCDPI, NC State Board of Education COA11-1418 (June 19, 2012)
- Davis v. Macon County Board of Education; COA05-1337 (August 1, 2006) – AMICUS BRIEF
- Transportation Services of North Carolina, Inc. D/B/A Crystal Transportation v. Wake County Board of Education, Kathryn Watson Quigg, and William R. Mcneal; COA08-664 (August 4, 2009)
- Citizens Addressing Reassignment and Education, Inc., et al. v. Wake County Board of Education; COA06-105 (March 20, 2007)