Franczek P.C. Announces Hiring of Jackie Wernz

Franczek P.C. is delighted to announce Jackie Wernz has returned to the firm from her time at the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Jackie’s return serves to further deepen our bench as we serve over 100 Illinois school districts that trust us with their most sensitive legal issues.

From 2016 to 2018, Jackie worked at the Chicago office of the OCR. Her experience in the agency both before and after the 2016 administration change gives her clients insight into some of the most politicized legal issues in education today, including racial and sexual harassment.

Jackie’s decade of experience representing and regulating public and private schools, colleges, and universities allows her to advocate effectively for her clients so they can focus on their educational missions. She prides herself on the strong relationships she builds with clients, who trust her both professionally and personally to handle even the most sensitive legal issues.

Jackie represents educational institutions in a wide range of education and employment law matters. She represents clients in all stages of proceedings in state and Federal court; in administrative hearings, including tenured teacher dismissal hearings and special education due process hearings; and in administrative proceedings before agencies such as the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR), and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).