Janelle Edwards-Stewart
Counsel
Morristown, NJ
973.889.4092
jedwardsstewart@pbnlaw.com
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Janelle Edwards-Stewart is a Counsel of Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, P.C. and a member of the firm's Litigation Practice Group. She concentrates her practice in employment and education litigation and counseling.
Janelle handles an array of school and employment law matters affecting the firm's public and private sector clients in state and federal courts as well as before administrative agencies, including the EEOC and the New Jersey Department of Labor. She has litigation and counseling experience in numerous areas of employment law, including issues involving wage and hour claims, harassment, discrimination, and whistleblowing. She also handles a variety of education matters for school board, charter school, and private school for students with disabilities clients. Clients particularly enjoy Janelle's ability to bring about swift, cost-effective, and amicable resolutions, or favorable litigation outcomes, in the alternative.
Janelle has significant expertise and experience in employee discipline and removal, tenure and seniority, discrimination, student discipline, anti-bullying, and special education matters.
Prior Relevant Experience
- Office of the General Counsel for Newark Public Schools, Newark, NJ, Associate Counsel; Law Clerk.
- New York Civil Liberties Union, New York, NY, Intern.
- Rutgers School of Law-Newark, Child Advocacy Clinic, Newark, NJ, Clinical Intern.
- Department of the Public Advocate, Trenton, NJ, Intern.
- Office of the Attorney General, Newark, NJ, Intern.
Organizations/Memberships
- American Bar Association - Tort, Trial, and Insurance Practice Section - Women Trial Lawyers, Diversity Vice Chair, 2018-2019; TIPS Now! Fellows, 2017-2018; Employment Law and Litigation Committee, Vice-Chair 2016-present
- New Jersey State Bar Association
- New York State Bar Association
- Connecticut Bar Association
- Garden State Bar Association
- New Jersey Association of School Attorneys
- New Jersey Superior Court of Essex Vicinage Advisory Committee on Minority Concerns
Speaking Engagements
- "Paid & Unpaid Leave," ASAH Human Resource Group Meeting, Edison, NJ, January 8, 2020.
- "Minds That Play Tricks on Us: Outsmarting Unconcious Bias," Porzio Employment Law Forum, October 3, 2019.
- Implicit Bias Seminar, Presented to Morris Arts Staff and Board, September, 2019
- "Transition Services & Graduation," New Jersey School Boards Association's Spring School Law Forum, June, 2019.
- "Grrr or Great!: Animals in the Workplace," Porzio Employment Law Forum, Morristown, NJ, October 3, 2018.
- "Current Requirements for Background Checks & Update and Overview of Reasonable Accommodations," Lakeside, NJ, July 12, 2018.
- "Current Trends and Best Practices in Human Resources," ASAH's 5th Annual Symposium for Business Office and Human Resources Personnel, South Iselin, NJ, May 18, 2018.
- "ABA’s New Anti-discrimination Rule - Maintaining The Integrity of The Profession - Rule 8.4 Misconduct," Ethics & Eggs, Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, P.C., Morristown, NJ, December 1, 2017.
- "Hot Topics In ADA Compliance: From Websites to Reasonable Accommodations," Porzio Employment Law Forum, Morristown, NJ, November 15, 2017.
- "Harassment, Intimidation & Bullying: Getting It Right," Madison Public Schools, Madison, NJ, November 2, 2017.
- "The Code has Passed...Now What" and "PSSDs in the Middle: Legal Proceedings Implicated by Student Behavior," ASAH 40th Annual Conference, Atlantic City, NJ, October 27, 2017.
- "Employment Law Basics for Lightbridge Owners & Managers," Lightbridge Academy Owners Conference, Iselin, NJ, October 17, 2017.
- "Boundaries: Staying Behind the Line," Cerebral Palsy of North Jersey, Livingston, NJ, June 20, 2017.
- "Safeguarding Employee Personal Information with Consideration of New NJDOE Annual Disclosure Form and DOE Regulations," ASAH's 4th Annual Symposium for Business Office and Human Resources Personnel, Iselin, NJ, May 19, 2017.
- "NJDOE Legal & Government Affairs Update," ASAH's 4th Annual Symposium for Business Office and Human Resources Personnel, Iselin, NJ, May 19, 2017.
- "Personnel Files," ASAH Human Resource Group Meeting, Edison, NJ, March 7, 2017.
- "Critical Contracts for Your Organization," ASAH Business Managers Workshop, Edison, NJ, December 15, 2016.
- "National Labor Relations Board Decisions Affecting Unionized and Non-Unionized Workplaces," National Business Institute, Newark, NJ, December 7, 2016.
- "ADA in the Workplace and School," Stop My Crisis with Vivian Gaspar, Princeton Community Television, Princeton, NJ, December 2, 2016.
- "Job Descriptions: Cutting Edge Tips For Ensuring You Get It Right The First Time," Porzio Employment Law Forum, Morristown, NJ, November 15, 2016.
- "Employment Law 101: How to Draft PSSD Employee Contracts and How to Handle Health Benefits during Medical and Family Leaves," ASAH's 3rd Annual Symposium for Business Office and Human Resources Personnel, Iselin, NJ, May 13, 2016.
- "Boundaries: Staying Behind the Line," Confidentiality and Social Media Training, Group Home Administrators, Mt. Laurel, NJ, February 16, 2016.
- "Boundaries: Staying Behind the Line," Confidentiality and Social Media Training for Durand Academy, Private School for Students with Disabilities, Woodbury, NJ, January 29, 2016.
- "Advanced Topics in Family and Medical Leave," Porzio Employment Law Forum, November 20, 2015.
- "Training Program: Everything You Need To Know About Unions," Morris County, NJ, May 15, 2015.
- "Key Legal Information All School Nurses Should Know," City of Newark's Annual School Nurses Conference, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, January 29, 2014.
- "Medical v. School-Based Supports and Services," New Jersey School Boards Spring Law Forum, June 13, 2013.
Publications
- "Have You Really Agreed to Arbitrate?," Porzio Employment Law Monthly, December 2018.
- "Federal District Court's Treatment of Employers' FMLA Obligations Ends in a Draw," Porzio Employment Law Monthly, February 2017.
- "Is Paid Sick Leave Here to Stay?" Porzio Employment Law Monthly, November 2016.
- "An Alien Concept Creates Limits on Employee Pay Reductions," Porzio Employment Law Monthly, August 2016.
- "How to Put the 'Independent' in Independent Contractor Status," Porzio Employment Law Monthly, August 2015.
Honors and Awards
- Recognized in the 2018 edition of New Jersey Law Journal's New Leaders of the Bar
- Recognized on the New Jersey Super Lawyers "Rising Stars" List, Employment Litigation: Defense, 2018-2019.
Opinions, Decisions, and Cases
- Bergen Center for Child Development v. New Jersey Dep't. of Educ., OAL Dkt. No., EDU 12485-18, Agency Dkt. No. 152-6/18 (December 2019)
- C.G. on behalf of G.G. v. Board of Education of the Township of Morris, Morris County, OAL Dkt. No. EDU 07231-18, aff'd by Comm'r Agency Dkt. No. 98-4/18 (January 2019)
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C.M., on behalf of Minor Children, J.M., E.M., and E.M., v. Board of Education of the Township of Springfield, Union County, OAL Dkt. No., EDU 06664-18, aff'd by Comm'r Agency Dkt. No. 89-4/18 (September 2018)
- Columbia High School Baseball Boosters, Inc. v. Board of Education of the South Orange – Maplewood School District, Essex County, OAL Dkt. No. EDU 4046-17, aff'd by Comm'r Agency Dkt. No. 42-3/17 (November 2017)
- Y.G. on behalf of S.G. v. Union Township Board of Education and Windsor Learning Center, OAL Dkt. No. EDS 19267-16, Agency Dkt. No. 2016/24429 (February 2017)
- P.S. and S.S. on behalf of A.S. v. Springfield Township Board of Education, OAL Dkt. No., EDS 11492-16, Agency Dkt. No. 2016-24777 (August 2017)
- Pittsgrove Township Board of Education v. K.D. on behalf of D.D., OAL Dtk. No. EDS 10556-15, Agency Dkt. No. 2015-22962 (May 2016).
- C.J. on behalf of J.J. v. Clearview Regional Board of Education, OAL Dkt. No. EDS 02079-16, Agency Dkt. No. 2016-23888 (April 2016)
- J.T. on behalf of J.T. vs. Newark Board of Education; US Court of Appeals, Third Circuit, Docket No. 13-2299 (April 2014)
Education