In this session the panelists will explore the legal and practical issues that arise in a school districts efforts to address racial disparities in student discipline in an urban public school district. An in-house administrator and outside counsel will share reflections on the difficulties of dealing with internal and external constituencies. They will also focus on the difficulty in striking the right balance between efforts and procedural compliance and systematic change. Finally, the session will explore the role of the federal government in encouraging but sometimes hindering a school district’s efforts including discussion of the roles of United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”), the United States Department of Justice(“DOJ”), and federal courts.