Monica joined the firm as a member in 2016 after having served as Interim General Counsel at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. She provides legal advice and counsel to colleges and universities, public school districts and independent schools in all aspects of education law, including student affairs, faculty tenure and promotion, governance issues, athletics and academic affairs.
Monica advises on staff and student employment, grievances, student conduct and discipline, Title IX policies and investigations, threat assessment and behavior intervention, FERPA, public-records, accreditation, regulatory and nonprofit compliance, bylaws, and policy handbooks. She counsels clients on a variety of employment law issues, such as executive contracts and compensation, severance agreements, disability accommodations, FMLA and other leave issues, and misconduct investigations. Monica partners with other attorneys at the firm to conduct investigations at all levels of client institutions. She also defends institutions before state and federal agencies and courts.
Monica’s responsibilities at Rutgers encompassed the full range of legal and compliance issues facing a state-wide research university with major professional schools and 29 labor unions, 20,000 employees, and a student body of approximately 65,000. As a key member on the President's Cabinet she was responsible for advising the President and members of the Boards on all legal issues, and supervising a staff of 18 lawyers.
Monica is a frequent presenter at National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA) national conferences and she has been widely published on a variety of higher education topics. Previously, she was employed as Executive Deputy General Counsel at the State University of New York; Associate General Counsel at Cornell University; and Assistant General Counsel at Barnard College.
Speaker, “Managing Student Group Activity Related to the Israeli-Palestine Conflict”, National Associate of Student Affairs Professionals, Annual Conference, Seattle, WA, March 11, 2024
Speaker, “A Year in Review in Higher Education Compliance”, Conference of Higher Education Compliance Officers, New York, NY, October 12, 2023
Discussion Leader, “Expansion of Labor Unions in Higher Education”, NACUA Annual Conference in Chicago, IL June 2023
Speaker, “Future of Affirmative Action and Scholarships for Women and Minorities in STEM”, Big Ten Consortium, Academic Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, May 21, 2023
Panelist, “Higher Education Legal Update”, 50th Annual National Conference: The State of Collective Bargaining and Higher Education, National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the Professions, Hunter College, NY, April 13, 2023
Panelist, Higher Education Legal Update, 49th Annual National Conference: The State of Collective Bargaining and Higher Education, National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the Professions, April 13, 2022
Panelist, Higher Education Legal Update, National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the Professions, Annual Conference, May 17, 2021
Now Trending: Employment Law Updates and Practical Tips to Best 'Employ’ Your Employment Law Knowledge, NACUA Virtual Annual Conference, June 23, 2020
COVID-19: Managing a Dynamic University Workplace in the Midst of a Pandemic Webinar, NACUA Briefing, March 26, 2020
Panelist, What Keeps a College President Up at Night, Legal Issues in Higher Education, Manhattanville College School of Education 3rd Annual Legal Issues Symposium, February 21, 2020
Panelist, Climate 2020: Climate and Diversity in a Polarized World, NACUA CLE Workshop, New Orleans, LA, January 30, 2020
20/20 Vision on Employment Law: Looking Back on the Important Employment Laws of 2019 and Looking Ahead to Potential Changes in 2020 Webinar, The Commission on Independent Colleges & Universities in New York, January 21, 2020
Human Resources Update, The Commission on Independent Colleges & Universities in New York Regional Meeting, October 15, 2019
Stump the Experts, The Ever-Evolving Field of Higher Education Discrimination Law: What You Need to Know Now, April 5, 2019
One Step Forward, One Step Back?: The Faculty's Role in Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, The Ever-Evolving Field of Higher Education Discrimination Law: What You Need to Know Now, April 4, 2019
#OFFEND #UPLIFT #HATE #LOVE: Blurred Lines as Both Public and Private Universities Navigate the Costs of Free Speech, Annual Conference of the National Association of College and University Attorneys, June 24-27, 2018
Tenure Evaluation Challenges, United Educators Webinar, March 1, 2018
Hot Legal Issues in Higher Education, Higher Education Leadership Symposium, February 9, 2018
Panelist, Top Trends and Emerging Issues in Higher Education Discrimination Law, NACUA CLE Workshop, March 29, 2017
Monica joined the firm as a member in 2016 after having served as Interim General Counsel at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. She provides legal advice and counsel to colleges and universities, public school districts and independent schools in all aspects of education law, including student affairs, faculty tenure and promotion, governance issues, athletics and academic affairs.
Monica advises on staff and student employment, grievances, student conduct and discipline, Title IX policies and investigations, threat assessment and behavior intervention, FERPA, public-records, accreditation, regulatory and nonprofit compliance, bylaws, and policy handbooks. She counsels clients on a variety of employment law issues, such as executive contracts and compensation, severance agreements, disability accommodations, FMLA and other leave issues, and misconduct investigations. Monica partners with other attorneys at the firm to conduct investigations at all levels of client institutions. She also defends institutions before state and federal agencies and courts.
Monica joined the firm as a member in 2016 after having served as Interim General Counsel at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. She provides legal advice and counsel to colleges and universities, public school districts and independent schools in all aspects of education law, including student affairs, faculty tenure and promotion, governance issues, athletics and academic affairs.
Monica advises on staff and student employment, grievances, student conduct and discipline, Title IX policies and investigations, threat assessment and behavior intervention, FERPA, public-records, accreditation, regulatory and nonprofit compliance, bylaws, and policy handbooks. She counsels clients on a variety of employment law issues, such as executive contracts and compensation, severance agreements, disability accommodations, FMLA and other leave issues, and misconduct investigations. Monica partners with other attorneys at the firm to conduct investigations at all levels of client institutions. She also defends institutions before state and federal agencies and courts.
Monica’s responsibilities at Rutgers encompassed the full range of legal and compliance issues facing a state-wide research university with major professional schools and 29 labor unions, 20,000 employees, and a student body of approximately 65,000. As a key member on the President's Cabinet she was responsible for advising the President and members of the Boards on all legal issues, and supervising a staff of 18 lawyers.
Monica is a frequent presenter at National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA) national conferences and she has been widely published on a variety of higher education topics. Previously, she was employed as Executive Deputy General Counsel at the State University of New York; Associate General Counsel at Cornell University; and Assistant General Counsel at Barnard College.
Speaker, “Managing Student Group Activity Related to the Israeli-Palestine Conflict”, National Associate of Student Affairs Professionals, Annual Conference, Seattle, WA, March 11, 2024
Speaker, “A Year in Review in Higher Education Compliance”, Conference of Higher Education Compliance Officers, New York, NY, October 12, 2023
Discussion Leader, “Expansion of Labor Unions in Higher Education”, NACUA Annual Conference in Chicago, IL June 2023
Speaker, “Future of Affirmative Action and Scholarships for Women and Minorities in STEM”, Big Ten Consortium, Academic Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, May 21, 2023
Panelist, “Higher Education Legal Update”, 50th Annual National Conference: The State of Collective Bargaining and Higher Education, National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the Professions, Hunter College, NY, April 13, 2023
Panelist, Higher Education Legal Update, 49th Annual National Conference: The State of Collective Bargaining and Higher Education, National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the Professions, April 13, 2022
Panelist, Higher Education Legal Update, National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the Professions, Annual Conference, May 17, 2021
Now Trending: Employment Law Updates and Practical Tips to Best 'Employ’ Your Employment Law Knowledge, NACUA Virtual Annual Conference, June 23, 2020
COVID-19: Managing a Dynamic University Workplace in the Midst of a Pandemic Webinar, NACUA Briefing, March 26, 2020
Panelist, What Keeps a College President Up at Night, Legal Issues in Higher Education, Manhattanville College School of Education 3rd Annual Legal Issues Symposium, February 21, 2020
Panelist, Climate 2020: Climate and Diversity in a Polarized World, NACUA CLE Workshop, New Orleans, LA, January 30, 2020
20/20 Vision on Employment Law: Looking Back on the Important Employment Laws of 2019 and Looking Ahead to Potential Changes in 2020 Webinar, The Commission on Independent Colleges & Universities in New York, January 21, 2020
Human Resources Update, The Commission on Independent Colleges & Universities in New York Regional Meeting, October 15, 2019
Stump the Experts, The Ever-Evolving Field of Higher Education Discrimination Law: What You Need to Know Now, April 5, 2019
One Step Forward, One Step Back?: The Faculty's Role in Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, The Ever-Evolving Field of Higher Education Discrimination Law: What You Need to Know Now, April 4, 2019
#OFFEND #UPLIFT #HATE #LOVE: Blurred Lines as Both Public and Private Universities Navigate the Costs of Free Speech, Annual Conference of the National Association of College and University Attorneys, June 24-27, 2018
Tenure Evaluation Challenges, United Educators Webinar, March 1, 2018
Hot Legal Issues in Higher Education, Higher Education Leadership Symposium, February 9, 2018
Panelist, Top Trends and Emerging Issues in Higher Education Discrimination Law, NACUA CLE Workshop, March 29, 2017