By DAN TOMASELLO

LYNNFIELD — The School Committee unanimously voted to hire a new attorney during a recent meeting.

School Committee Vice Chair Kristen Grieco Elworthy said the Budget Subcommittee that is comprised of her, School Committee Chair Kate DePrizio and Superintendent Tom Geary recently interviewed attorneys to represent the School Committee. She said the subcommittee recommended that atty. Colby Brunt from the law firm Stoneman, Chandler & Miller, LLP be hired to “represent the School Committee on legal matters.”

Geary said he “strongly” recommended that Brunt be hired as the School Committee’s next attorney.

“All of these law firms provide the same services,” said Geary. “You are not going to find one who knows the law better for the most part. It comes down to comfort and who you feel is best to speak with you in a crisis and guide you in the right direction in a difficult and timely situation.”

According to Brunt’s biography posted on the Stoneman, Chandler & Miller, LLP website, she specializes in special education and school law.

“Ms. Brunt is responsible for matters involving school district policy development, special education, labor and employment matters and student discipline,” the biography states. “Ms. Brunt holds a bachelor of arts in History and a bachelor of science in Secondary Education from Boston University, and earned her law degree from the University of Richmond School of Law in Richmond, Virginia. She is a member of the Massachusetts and Connecticut Bars. Prior to being admitted to the Bar, Ms. Brunt served as a public school teacher in Connecticut.”

Geary said during the meeting that the Budget Subcommittee’s interview with Brunt “went great.”

“We were impressed with the examples of how Colby has handled certain issues that we currently face and will be facing in the upcoming year,” said Geary. “She has worked with Manchester-Essex, North Andover, Lexington, Bedford, and the Northshore Education Consortium that we are a part of.”

Geary said Lynnfield High School Principal Tricia Puglisi previously worked with Brunt when she was principal of Manchester-Essex Regional High School.

“Tricia was thrilled that we will be working with her,” said Geary.

Geary said he, DePrizio and Elworthy had a “great feeling about the services Colby will be providing to us going forward.”

DePrizio agreed.

“Over the last seven months I have been chairing this committee, we had some extraordinary legal matters that had to be solved in a myriad of different ways for the district,” said DePrizio. “Something that was really key for me as chair was having someone we could go to who we could have a relationship with, that I could explain the whole context of the situation and feel comfort in us troubleshooting that together.”

DePrizio said Brunt understands “what is important to Lynnfield Public Schools and what is important to this committee.” She also said Brunt wants to be a “long-term lawyer for our district.”

“Colby puts an emphasis on relationship-building,” said DePrizio. “She is someone we could rely on and will not only get to know this district inside and out, but also this committee. That was really invaluable for me personally as well as this committee.”

While DePrizio said the attorneys the Budget Subcommittee interviewed were “very much on top of their field in educational law,” she said Brunt “stood out among the rest.”

After the discussion, the School Committee unanimously voted to hire Brunt as its next attorney.

According to Brunt’s biography on the Stoneman, Chandler & Miller, LLP website, she has been “a faculty member at various seminars sponsored by the Department of Mental Health, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE), Lesley University, the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee, the Flaschner Judicial Institute, Lorman Educational Services and private vendors.”

“Ms. Brunt has also authored articles and chapters for Special Education Commentary for the Massachusetts Special Education Reporter, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE), national journals and international publications,” Brunt’s biography states. “In 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010, Massachusetts and New England SuperLawyers named Ms. Brunt as a ‘Rising Star’ in the field of education law.”