Jennifer Donaldson

Biography

Jennifer Donaldson is an attorney in the firm’s Litigation, Education and School Law, Employment and Discrimination and Family Law practice groups.

Jennifer has been representing school districts and their employees in all aspects of school law including special education matters for nearly fifteen years. Jennifer routinely fields questions and counsels school administrators on various regulatory compliance issues relating to their daily needs and works hand-in-hand with those leaders to assist with improving the educational programs and services within the schools.

She is additionally called upon to provide in-service trainings and presentations on a variety of school law topics and has presented CLEs at the Annual School Law Conference at Lehigh University and PBI’s Exceptional Children’s Conference. Jennifer also is a fierce advocate in special education litigation matters where she represents school districts in administrative due process hearings. Additionally, she has vast experience handling special education appeals in the federal courts, both at the district court and circuit court levels, and she has successfully argued before the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. In addition to special education matters, Jennifer represents school districts in student discrimination, student discipline, truancy and other student rights matters.

Jennifer also assists school districts with their employment law matters, such as employment discrimination claims which arise under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA). In addition to assisting school districts, she assists private employers and employees in employment discrimination claims, drafting employment contracts and contract disputes.

Jennifer additionally utilizes her advocacy and litigation skills to assist private clients in family law matters, including divorce and custody matters.

Prior to her career in private practice, Jennifer was an Assistant District Attorney at the Philadelphia District’s Attorney’s Office where she worked in the Municipal Court, Appeals and Civil Litigation Units. During this time, she conducted criminal bench trials, litigated criminal appeals and argued before the Pennsylvania Superior Court. Additionally, as part of her work in the Civil Litigation Unit, Jennifer served as defense counsel for the District Attorney’s Office and its employees in federal and state civil rights lawsuits, including prisoner civil rights and employment discrimination suits, and assisted with matters involving records requests, employee discipline and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requests.

Memberships

Jennifer is a member of the Bucks County Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the Pennsylvania School Board Solicitors Association.

Bar Admission

Jennifer is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Education

Jennifer earned her J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law where she was selected as a national member of The Order of Barristers for exhibiting excellence and high honors in courtroom advocacy. Her courtroom advocacy skills in law school were showcased when she was a finalist in her law school’s Appellate Moot Court Competition. During law school, Jennifer was also selected and participated in the National Appellate Moot Court Competition in Washington, D.C. She earned her B.A. from Franklin and Marshall College majoring in Scientific and Philosophical Studies of the Mind. She was a member of her college’s Women’s Soccer Team, Philosophy Club and the student television network.

Community

Jennifer is active in the Doylestown community serving as a youth soccer coach and Girl Scout leader.