Christopher (“Chris”) concentrates his practice on education law. He represents schools, school districts and other educational organizations in all types of legal matters, including policy creation, compliance reviews, personnel matters, intergovernmental agreements, public records requests, and open meeting law compliance. He is adept on statewide K-12 legal aspects of board governance, including open meeting law, conflicts of interest, public contracting, public records law and Title 15.

Chris has substantial experience in the education law area. Prior to joining Gust Rosenfeld, he was the General Counsel and Associate Executive Director for the Arizona School Boards Association (ASBA) from 2000-2021. He oversaw the team that created model policies for ASBA’s subscriber districts. He also advocated for the ASBA’s interests as part of their Governmental Relations Team.

Professional Associations

  • State Bar of Arizona
  • National School Boards Association/Council of School Attorneys
    • Member, Board of Directors (2010-2014)

Presentations & Publications

  • Presenter, “Homesteads and Judgment Liens in Arizona: 2022 Statutory Amendments and Recent Case Law Updates,” Arizona Mortgages Lenders Association – Industry Partners Conference (March 2022)

Professional Recognition

  • Arizona Association of School Business Officials, Chuck Essigs Lifetime Achievement Award, (2020)
  • Friends of Association of School Personnel Administrators Association, Lifetime Achievement (2020)
  • Association for Career and Technical Education of Arizona, Executive Citation Recognition (2020)

Community Involvement

  • Madison Elementary School District, Governing Board Member (2005-2008)
    • President (2005, 2007-2008)

Legal Updates & Firm News

Jul 26, 2022 Legal Alerts

Top 10 Questions Surrounding Arizona’s Moment of Silence Law

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Feb 08, 2022 General

Gust Rosenfeld Adds Depth to Education Law Group with Addition of Christopher Thomas

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