(603) 206-7209, 206-7210
deggert@wadleighlaw.com



School Law
Commercial Litigation
Municipal Representation


Dean has extensive experience representing school districts throughout the state in matters involving general school law and federal special education law. He is also an AV-rated jury trial lawyer with trial experience in the area of commercial litigation, products liability defense and municipal representation. He has been selected as one of The Best Lawyers in America in the Municipal Law category. He has represented manufacturers, distributors, banks, retailers and developers in complex commercial litigation, including computer conversion, anti-trust, products liability, breach of contract, land use and unfair competition cases.
Dean served as legal counsel for the City of Manchester School District from 1985 to 2008 and handled the litigation which led to the establishment of the District as a distinct corporate entity. Dean has authored numerous articles in the field of school law and lectures both locally and nationally on federal special education law and other school law issues. He is certified as a mediator and has served as a court-appointed mediator in over 80 cases.



Dean currently serves on the Council of Elders at CenterPoint Church in Concord, New Hampshire. He has served as Chairman of the Board of the Concord Christian Schools, Director of CBNE and Cornerstone Construction Ministries. Dean has been active in local, national and global relief projects, including hurricane relief and reconstruction. Dean serves on the Board of SAMBA International, a nonprofit organization which seeks to bring targeted assistance to children in the Kong’oma Village area of Malawi, Africa.



BA in Communications, Wheaton College (1982 with high honors). JD, University of California at Los Angeles (1985 member of the UCLA Law Review from 1983-1985).



Admitted to practice in New Hampshire 1985. Admitted to practice in the United States District Court, District of New Hampshire 1985. Admitted to practice before the First Circuit Court of Appeal 2000. Admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States 2004.



Burke v. Brookline School District, 257 Fed. Appx. 335 (1st Cir. 2007); cert. den., 128 S.Ct. 2934 (June 16, 2008); K&B Rock Crushing v. Town of Auburn, 153 NH 566 (2006); Chester Rod and Gun Club, Inc. v. Town of Chester, 152 NH 577 (2005); The City of Manchester School District and School Administrative Unit #37 v. The City of Manchester, 150 NH 664 (2004); Gary S. v. Manchester School District, 374 F.3d 15 (1st Cir. 2004); Pheasant Lane Realty Trust v. City of Nashua, 143 NH 140 (1998); Hancock v. R.A. Earnhardt Textile Machinery, Inc., 139 NH 356 (1995).



  • Special Education Case Law: An Overview of Recent Decisions (2011)
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  • School Board Ethics and the Law Regarding Conflicts of Interest
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  • "That's All Folks": A Closer Look at Transition Services and Graduation Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
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  • Written Prior Notices, Team Meeting Minutes, Deadlines and Records
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  • A Brief Overview of the ADA Amendments Act of 2008
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  • The Intersection of Pending Legislation and Special Education
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  • Special Education Case Law: An Overview of Recent Decisions (2010)
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  • Conflict Resolution: The Art and Science of Mediating Disputes in Special Education Matters
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  • "Why I Slugged Mikey": A Review of How the Law Responds to Bullies
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  • Understanding the IDEA
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  • Best Practices in School District Procurement
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  • When Does the School Day End?: After School Activities, Transportation and Extended Year Programming
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  • Investigating Complaints About School Personnel
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  • Key Changes to the New Hampshire Rules for the Education of Students with Disabilities
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  • Identifying, Preventing, and Responding to Disability-Based Harassment
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  • Avoiding and Defending Retaliation Claims Under Section 504 and the IDEA
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  • Bullying, Sexual Harassment, and Racial Insensitivity
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  • Dealing with Discipline Issues Under the IDEA and Section 504
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  • Access to Public Records Under New Hampshire's RSA 91-A
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  • Me Too! Inclusion, Assistive Technology, and Medically Fragile Students
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  • The Discipline of Student Discipline: Understanding the Due Process Requirements and Legal Criteria for Disciplining Students, Including Students With Educational Disabilities
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  • Drug and Alcohol Testing in the Workplace
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  • An Educator's Obligations Under New Hampshire Law and the New IDEA
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  • Legal Aspects in Recruiting, Hiring and Contracting Employees
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  • Lingering Questions about Identification, Team Participation and the Manifestation Determination
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  • First and Fourth Amendment Issues in Schools
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  • A Summary of Student Rights
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  • Let's Get "Personnel": Giving and Receiving Employer References
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  • Understanding FERPA
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  • Providing Special Education Services to Children and Youth in Homeless Situations
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  • HIPAA Compliance for Special Educators
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  • The Intersection of Professional Development, Teacher Evaluation and the Law
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  • Educating and Grading Students with Educational Disabilities
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