Attorney Jane E. López (Jenni)
Legal Experience
Jane E. López (Jenni) has twenty-five years legal experience working exclusively in the area of educational civil rights. Prior to joining Sanghavi Law Office, LLC, Jenni served as a team leader and civil rights attorney with the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) where she managed a team charged with investigating and resolving complaints alleging violations of Federal civil rights laws regarding sexual harassment, disability, and racial and national origin discrimination. As team leader, Jenni led a team of attorneys and investigators working on some of the Boston OCR office’s most high profile sexual harassment investigations.
Prior to joining OCR, Jenni was a senior attorney for Multicultural Education, Training & Advocacy, Inc. (META), a national not-for-profit law firm that specializes in the educational civil rights of English language learner (ELL) students, national origin students, and youth of color. Her work included policy analysis and development, training and community development, advocacy, litigation, and negotiations. Jenni has extensive background and experience engaging with educational stakeholders, including students, from diverse cultural, language, and economic backgrounds.
Jenni has significant experience training school staff members and helping schools update policies and procedures to comply with Title IX, Section 504, Title II of the ADA, and Title VI (these laws prohibit discrimination based on sex, disability, race, color, and national origin). Jenni has extensive experience conducting school climate assessments, including focus groups. Jenni also has extensive experience with the Federal and state legal requirements regarding educating ELL students.
Jenni has the expertise to assist clients with proactive compliance advice, audits, and investigations regarding:
- Harassment, different treatment, hostile environment claims based on race, color, and national origin;
- Sexual harassment including sexual assault;
- Different treatment based on sex;
- Different treatment claims based on disability;
- FAPE, equal access, and accommodations for persons with disabilities; and
- Equal educational opportunities for ELL students.
Jenni is a trained mediator. She has completed forty-hours of mediation training in accordance with M.G.L. ch.233 § 23C with MWI in Boston, MA.
Jenni teaches Education Law at Northeastern University School of Law.
Jenni has participated in multiple trainings, including but not limited to, ATIXA’s Civil Rights Investigator training, ATIXA’s Title IX Hearing Officer and Decision-maker training, MCAD’s Conducting Internal Complaints of Discrimination Investigations training, and NBI’s Employment Law: What you Need to Know training. Jenni is also on the United Educator’s list of approved investigators.
Licensed to practice law in Massachusetts and Connecticut.