Reply #185: You're quite right. Success is not assured.

[Neil Lisst]

But what is "success?"

I get involved in some school district fiasco about once every five years, and I can assure you, it's not for the money. In fact, I've never charged anyone who had a complaint against a school district. It's a cause for me, like many other causes that I find worthy of support.

The point is almost always to change policies and to make the teachers and administrators stop doing whatever they're doing, and start doing something else.

The best attack is three pronged: Media, Cause Groups, and threat of litigation. Once the district gets a formal demand letter from an attorney threatening a lawsuit for damages and requesting that the school's insurance carrier be put on notice of the pending claim, the fat is in the fire. Suddenly, the district realizes it is going to be paying a lot of money to deal with the problem, and they get malleable.

Insurance is not free. The premiums are based upon loss experience, and if the insurer pays out a claim, they'll be looking to get it back in the next policy year by increased premiums.