As an associate with the nationwide firm of Venable LLP, Heather Broadwater represents independent schools nationwide on a wide array of legal matters. With an extensive background in human resource management, she advises schools on employment issues, and assists schools in managing their relationships with students, parents, trustees, donors, alumni, vendors and other members of the school community.

Ms. Broadwater drafts, reviews and revises contracts utilized by independent schools, including teacher and faculty employment contracts, enrollment agreements, and agreements between schools and vendors. She counsels schools regarding policy development and implementation, recruitment and selection, faculty and employment contracts, employee relations, wage and hour compliance, counseling and disciplinary actions, family and medical leave management, performance evaluation, and termination of the employment relationship. In addition, she advises schools in establishing and enforcing harassment prevention programs and in conducting investigations into allegations involving students, employees and others involved in the school community. She also assists schools with student safety, welfare, and discipline issues; student and faculty handbooks; board governance and by-law issues; the defense of wrongful termination claims; and a variety of day-to-day challenges facing independent schools today.

Representative Clients
Ms. Broadwater represents a broad array of clients in one of the nation's leading practices in the representation of independent schools and other not-for-profits. In addition to her representation of independent schools, Ms. Broadwater works closely with national, regional, and state independent school associations to help establish and disseminate best practices for independent schools.

Activities
Ms. Broadwater regularly presents at conferences and events, including chapter events for the Society for Human Resource Management, the National Association of Independent Schools' annual conference, the National Business Officers Association's Annual Symposium, and Southern Association of Independent Schools conference. Ms. Broadwater has also presented before many regional independent school associations. As an advocate of preventive maintenance, she also designs and delivers custom training programs for clients.