Janice P. Gregerson

Independent School Law

Janice advises independent schools nationwide and understands their unique challenges. She helps independent schools respond to current legal issues and proactively identify potential problems before they arise. Her work includes:

• Drafting, reviewing, and revising documents utilized by independent schools, including but not limited to student and employee handbooks, faculty and staff employment contracts, travel documents, and enrollment agreements
• Counseling schools in the development of policies related to students, parents, employees, and trustees
• Counseling schools on student safety, welfare, and discipline issues, including abuse issues; employee relations issues, including employee discipline and separations; and a variety of day-to-day challenges facing independent schools
• Representing independent schools before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and other such state and local agencies in response to claims brought by employees, students, and students' families

Employment Counseling

Drawing upon her employment litigation experience in both the private and federal sectors, Janice provides practical solutions for routine and complex management issues. She regularly works with clients to ensure compliance with relevant laws, including but not limited to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Americans With Disabilities Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act, as well as various state and local laws. She also helps clients improve the quality and efficacy of various employment-related practices, policies, and documents. This type of counseling includes:

• Drafting new or updating existing employment documents, such as personnel handbooks, offer and termination letters, restrictive covenant agreements, and discipline or grievance procedure documents
• Rendering advice related to the hiring and termination processes to ensure compliance with applicable laws and to appropriately protect clients' interests
• Advice and counseling related to harassment in the workplace, which includes onsite harassment training, drafting of sound anti-harassment policies and investigation guidelines, and counseling following reported harassment
• Rendering advice related to workplace practices, including employee classification, wage and hour practices, and disability accommodations

Before joining Venable, Janice worked at a national law firm in its labor and employment practice, representing employers from a wide range of industries, including government contractors, local government agencies, nonprofit organizations, universities, healthcare providers, and restaurants, in the defense of employment litigation matters, including those involving claims of discrimination, wage and hour violations, and whistleblower retaliation. She has experience managing all stages of litigation in both state and federal courts, including initial investigations, discovery management, depositions, drafting and arguing pre-trial motions, and trial.

In law school, Janice served on the George Mason Law Review and as a student attorney in George Mason's Clinic for Legal Assistance to Servicemembers. At the same time, Janice  worked as a law clerk for a boutique employment law firm, assisting in the representation of both private and federal sector employees in employment disputes, including discrimination, wage and hour violations, and disciplinary appeals before the Merit Systems Protection Board.