Services
Industries
Education
Michigan State University, B.A. Accounting, 1981
Wayne State University, J.D., 1984
Bar Admissions
- Michigan
Jim Crowley is a member of the Firm's Public Finance Practice Group and concentrates his practice in the areas of school finance, election and general school business law.
Jim has extensive experience in school finance and regularly serves as bond counsel, note counsel and disclosure counsel for public schools, public school academies, and other issuers. In these capacities, he has served as counsel relating to general obligation, unlimited and limited tax bond financings, energy conservation project financings, tax-credit bond financings, installment purchase agreements, finance leases and operating cash-flow borrowings including state aid notes, tax anticipation notes, and lines of credit.
In addition to serving as bond and note counsel in school financing transactions, Jim also focuses on such areas as elections, campaign finance compliance, state and federal tax issues, general school finance (budgets, revenue sources and cash flow), general school business matters and employee benefits.
With respect to school elections, Jim has extensive experience with elections for school bond, operating tax (i.e. renewals, increases and Headlee restorations) and sinking fund proposals.
Jim regularly assists public schools with the establishment and maintenance of tax-exempt organizations which include educational foundations, boosters clubs and other organizations affiliated with the public school.
Professional Activities
National Association of Bond Lawyers
American Bar Association
The Incorporated Society of Irish American Lawyers
Speeches
"Sales Tax Obligations for Michigan Public Schools," Michigan School Business Officials Annual Conference, April 25, 2024
"School Elections Do's and Don'ts Under the Michigan Campaign Finance Act," Michigan School Business Officials Annual Conference, April 25, 2024
"Permissible Expenditures: Strategies to Comply and Flow Chart Practice Guide," Michigan School Business Officials Annual Conference, April 25, 2024
"Capital Funding Alternatives," Co-Presenter with Alan Szuma, Michigan School Business Officials Annual Conference, April 24, 2024
"School Ballot Proposals and Elections: Legal Requirements, Timing, Strategy and More," Michigan School Business Officials 2023 Annual Conference
"The ABCs of a School Bond Issue," Michigan Association of School Boards 2021 Annual Leadership Conference
"Permissible Expenditures and Compliance Strategies," Michigan School Business Officials 2021 Annual Conference
"GASB 84: Legal Considerations," Michigan School Business Officials Workshop, June 5, 2019
"Establishing a School Foundation Under IRC 501(c)(3)," Michigan School Business Officials 2019 Annual Conference, May 2, 2019
"Legal Update," Michigan School Business Officials 2019 Annual Conference, May 1, 2019
"Legal Update," Grand Valley School Business Officials, March 15, 2019
"Michigan Campaign Finance Act School District Do's and Don'ts," May 29, 2018
"School Election Update: Operating, Bond and Sinking Fund Millage Proposals," Michigan School Business Officials 2018 Annual Conference, April 19, 2018
"School Building and Site Sinking Fund Update," Michigan School Business Officials 2017 Annual Conference, May 4, 2017
"Permissible Expenditures and Compliance Strategies," Michigan School Business Officials 2017 Annual Conference, May 4, 2017
"Legal Update," Michigan School Business Officials 2017 Annual Conference, May 3, 2017
Publications
"Capital Improvement Financing for Michigan Public Schools," co-authored with Kristen Howard and Amanda Van Dusen, Michigan Bar Journal, February 2021
