Monica Barrett

Practice Areas

- Higher Education

- Labor and Employment

Career

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.

Publications

Co-Author, "Character and Other Anecdotal Evidence in the Time of “Me Too,” Millennials, and Generation Z," PLI Current: The Journal of PLI Press, Vol. 4, No. 3 (2020)

Professional Memberships

- Editorial Board, Journal of College and University Law, 2016-2017

- Co-Chair, Working Group, Diversity and Civil Rights, NACUA Annual Conference, 2015

- Chair, Program Committee for NACUA Conference on Higher Education Employment Issues, 2014

- Board Member, NACUA, 2011-2014

- Chair, Committee on Legal Education, NACUA, 2012-2013; Vice Chair, Committee on Legal Education, NACUA, 2005-2006; 2009-2010; 2010-2011

- Chair, Program Committee for NACUA Conference "Responding to Sexual Violence on Campus: OCR Dear Colleague Letter Compliance," 2011

- Chair, Program Committee for NACUA Conference "Setting Up International Programs," 2011

- Chair, Advisory Board Council on Diversity and Inclusivity, NACUA, 2009-2010; 2010-2011

- Chair, Virtual Seminars Subcommittee, Committee on Legal Education, NACUA, 2009-2010

Education

Awards