The North Carolina Council of School Attorneys (NCCOSA) has elected Laurinburg attorney Nick Sojka to serve as chairperson of NCCOSA through July 30, 2010. The decision was made during the organization's annual law conference and business meeting, held July 30 and 31 at Wrightsville Beach. Sojka, a Scotland County school board attorney, has previously served in other leadership roles for NCCOSA and has been a member of its executive committee for a number of years.

Sojka was pleased to assume the chairman's position.

"I am very humbled to be selected to head the North Carolina Council of School Attorneys organization," he said. "NCCOSA is a distinguished group of attorneys from throughout the state."

Allison Schafer, director of policy and legal counsel for the North Carolina School Boards Association, expressed her organization's pleasure at Sojka's new position.

“We are very pleased that Nick Sojka was elected chairperson of NCCOSA and that he is willing to serve during what looks to be another challenging year for North Carolina school boards and for the attorneys who advise them. As a long-time school board attorney, Nick brings a wealth of practical experience and common sense to his new role. He is certainly well-respected among his peers.”

In addition to the Scotland County Board of Education, Sojka regularly represents other boards of education as general counsel or in hearing and appeal matters. A partner in the firm of Williamson, Dean, Williamson & Sojka, L.L.P., of Laurinburg, Sojka was preceded as attorney for the Scotland County Board of Education by his partners Dan Dean and Andy Williamson.

In addition to providing legal counsel to the school system, the firm is a long-time supporter of Scotland High School athletics. Mr. Sojka and his wife, the former Lucy Purcell, have lived in Laurinburg since 1993; their children, Eleanor and Joe, attend Scotland High School.

Sojka said that while he is happy to have been elected to the position of the NCCOSA chair, a deeper personal and professional satisfaction occurs on a more local level.

"The real honor for me is to work with the Scotland County School Board, where its members put incredible time and energy into their positions," he said. "I have a vested interest in this particular school system, since I live here and my children attend Scotland High School. I will help them in any way I can."

An affiliate organization of the North Carolina School Boards Association, NCCOSA is comprised of attorneys for local boards of education from throughout North Carolina. Through its listserv, annual law conference, and other activities, NCCOSA helps local school board attorneys and the boards they serve stay current on important legal decisions and legislative changes.