Josh Salsburey: Helping Schools Promote Kids’ Success
Since Josh Salsburey was a high school student, he’s wanted to help kids. He first became interested in the law at Spring Arbor University, after reading the book “No Matter How Loud I Shout” by investigative reporter Edward Humes, which detailed examples of kids who were failed by the juvenile justice system, but also progressive ways some courts were trying to cut down on recidivism. The book, along with Josh’s volunteer work with kids through Spring Arbor’s “Action Jackson” program in Jackson, Mich., inspired him to do a college thesis on juvenile justice, and he spent much of his senior year observing and researching the juvenile justice system in Jackson.
Seeing the system up close piqued his interest in ways to help at-risk kids, and the best way he found to do that was to learn and work as an attorney. Josh has built his career helping kids, working with school systems, colleges and universities to help ensure schools have the tools they need to give children opportunities for success. He has built a successful education and employment practice, representing and advising school districts, colleges, and universities in litigation, governance, and employment matters.
“I know that what we do matters. Our clients’ issues are very tangible, and have real-time, direct impact on actual people. At the same time, many of the issues we deal with have far reaching implications and broader impact than just a single individual. What we’re doing helps change something on a grander scale.” — Josh Salsburey
The key for both helping kids and working with schools and other employers is to anticipate and address concerns before they arise. “It’s important to help clients anticipate the impact of their decisions, and I think my willingness to drill down deep into issues makes me more effective. I’m not satisfied with the convenient solution, because it’s important down the road to make sure all angles are covered. My ability to forecast what can happen if we do certain things makes it easier for clients to make long-term decisions.”
And the fact that those decisions make a difference in kids’ lives is why Josh decided to work with education clients. Issues like student safety, access to education, privacy protection, Title IX, and other areas are critical to ensuring students’ well-being. Sorting through accommodations, open records and privacy rights, contracts, etc., is more nuanced than people may realize, and takes skill and knowledge to work through, Josh explains.
“Day to day, if we solve an issue of student safety, or we help very real individuals have their privacy protected, I know that what we do matters. Our clients’ issues are very tangible, and have real-time, direct impact on actual people. At the same time, many of the issues we deal with have far reaching implications and broader impact than just a single individual. So we’re simultaneously dealing with very real individual situations, but what we’re doing helps change something on a grander scale.”
“I really enjoy what I do and that makes a difference in how well I do it. I really like helping a client troubleshoot something that was unexpected for them, or helping them solve an urgent problem that helps their week go better. Enjoying this work, and believing in what we do, makes a measurable difference – it makes me do my best in every case, and go the extra step to ensure our clients’ success.”
Questions about working through a school law or employment issue, and learning how to prevent issues before they start? Josh is Chair of the Higher Education Council of the Employment Law Alliance, a member of the Council of School Attorneys of the National School Boards Association, and has given numerous seminars and published articles on discrimination and harassment, student and employee confidentiality, and ethics investigations. He has extensive experience in this area, and is happy to help. Contact him at 859.255.8581, or jsalsburey@sturgillturner.com.