Venable LLP is pleased to announce that Grace H. Lee has rejoined the firm’s Independent School Practice as a partner in the Washington, D.C., office. Ms. Lee is the former vice president of legal affairs at the National Business Officers Association (NBOA), where she oversaw the legal affairs and human resources programming for independent school business officers and served as a resource for member schools on current and evolving legal challenges affecting the independent school community.

At Venable, Ms. Lee will continue to work collaboratively with business officers, board members, human resources professionals, and heads of school to advance the mission priorities and culture of institutions while meeting their business needs and mitigating potential liability. Prior to her role at NBOA, Ms. Lee was an attorney at Venable from 2007 to 2012, where she provided guidance and legal counsel to the firm’s independent school clients on a broad range of issues including employee policies, contracts, worker classification issues, difficult employee situations, student and family issues, governance, legal claims, and regulatory compliance. She is a frequent presenter at national and local independent school association conferences, has written extensively on school legal issues, and provides a substantial amount of training to faculty and staff around the country.

Caryn G. Pass, chair of the Education Practice, said, “I have had the honor of watching Grace develop into one of the preeminent voices within this industry. She is well known for the breadth of knowledge she brings to her practice and the skill with which she balances the legal and business objectives of the institutions she serves. Her time at NBOA has strengthened Grace’s already keen grasp of the challenges affecting independent schools. I am thrilled by her return to the firm.”

Commenting on her move to Venable, Ms. Lee said, “I am excited to continue supporting independent schools with their legal challenges at Venable. Its education and nonprofit attorneys are highly respected and have expertise in a broad range of legal issues that can arise for independent schools, universities, and other nonprofits.”

Ms. Lee received her J.D. from George Washington University School of Law in 2001 and her B.A. from Northwestern University in 1998.