About Tal Rappleyea
As a municipal lawyer, Tal Rappleyea gets asked this question all the time: What is a municipality?
A municipality is actually just a technical term for a county or city. Although municipalities are mainly responsible for creating their laws, they hire municipal lawyers that are responsible for enforcing those laws. Tal Rappleyea covers the following municipal law issues to reflect the needs of area residents:
- Education policies, which governs the safety and standards of education in public schools, accommodating students with disabilities, and job security for teachers.
- Property taxes, which outlines how taxed income from residents can be used to benefit the community.
- Police power, which oversees how police officers monitor resident behavior.
- Zoning, which determines how land in the municipality is used.
Some municipal lawyers work internally for one municipality, while others practice law individually for multiple municipalities. Tal practices law individually in his own private practice and serves several counties in the Albany metro area in New York state.
Tal Rappleyea was admitted to the New York State Bar Association in January 1989. This chapter of the bar association is actually the largest voluntary state bar organization in the nation with a membership of more than 74,000 lawyers. Tal is proud to be a member, considering former presidents Grover Cleveland and Chester A. Arthur were members of the New York State chapter as well.
With nearly three decades of experience and a Juris Doctorate from Hamline State University, Tal Rappleyea has explored municipal law in several roles as an attorney, ranging from positions as Attorney for the Town and Attorney for the Village of several municipalities. Currently, Tal is a solo practitioner in his own Law Offices of Tal G. Rappleyea in Valatie, New York and lists municipal law as one of his main concentrations.
Tal is a supporter the New York State Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials (NYCOM), which is an organization that trains municipal officials and operates as a general support group for municipal officials in each state. He is also very active in his community, as he is a member of the Capital District Trial Lawyers Association and holds a position in the County Bar Association of New York State.
Although Tal Rappleyea maintains an active lifestyle by volunteering in his community and maintaining memberships in his field of practice, he still makes time for one of his pastimes, golf, by on the range.
- “Deal of the Year” Award from the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY)
- Named one of the three new inductees to the Ethics Committee of REBNY
- Named to the Executive Board of New York Residential Specialists (NYRS).

Changes to Employment Law in 2019
2019 is bringing about some significant changes to employment law, and as ever, staying compliant with these changes is critical for the health of any business. While the majority of these new regulations are focused on companies with larger workforces, some of these new changes could have an impact on businesses of varying sizes. Here’s everything you need to know as you prepare your company for the new year.
Changes to Minimum Wage
Twenty states have raised their minimum wage, and while some of these changes are pending, the minimum wage in most of these states go into effect immediately. Covering each of these changes is outside the purview of this article, it’s important to check your state’s new regulations to make sure that your company is compliant. Many of these states are raising their minimum wage to become compliant with a new federal minimum, but others come with provisions regarding other aspects of pay. Minnesota employs different wages for small and large companies, while others have staggered minimum wages contingent on whether or not a company offers healthcare to their employees.
Predictive Scheduling
Apart from minimum wage increases, one of the most significant changes to the law involves predictive scheduling. The exact nature of these terms varies by state. There are a couple of common provisions. The first is that employers must post their schedule within one to two weeks in advance to provide employees with appropriate notice for work. Some states include provisions where employees must be paid extra if changes are made to a schedule outside of these designated windows. Many states are also implementing laws that ensure there’s a proper rest period between all shifts, but these too can significantly vary depending on the state. In any case, companies must keep records of their scheduling for the sake of accountability.
Ensuring Compliance
Staying current with these laws can be a difficult task, especially if you’re the owner or manager of a company with many employees. That means that business owners should carefully sit down and examine the changes going into the new year. Alternately, there are a number of resources like the Labor Law Center that can help ensure a smooth transition to compliance. Regardless, the laws are in place to protect the rights of your employees, and a happier staff will produce better results all around.