Rachel Yarch leads the firm’s employment law practice group.  She represents employers in all aspects of employment law, including client counseling, training and litigation. She has extensive experience representing employers including high schools, colleges, universities, nursing homes and corporations. Through her work with schools and institutions of higher education, Ms. Yarch has also successfully defended claims of discrimination brought by students. She has trial experience in both state and federal court, and has experience litigating and mediating employment law matters in various agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Illinois Human Rights Commission. In 2006, Ms. Yarch had the opportunity to argue a race discrimination and retaliation case before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

 

Ms. Yarch also assists employers with drafting policies and making personnel decisions in compliance with federal and state statutes. She is a frequent lecturer on employment law issues and has experience providing training sessions on important employment law topics such as preventing discrimination claims and sexual harassment in the workplace. Ms. Yarch is co-author of the firm’s annual Employment Law Manual.

 

EDUCATION

DePaul University College of Law, Chicago, Illinois J.D., 2001
Political Science/Pre-Law, Michigan State University B.A., 1998

ADMITTED TO PRACTICE

Northern District of Indiana, 2007
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, 2006
Federal Trial Bar, 2005
Northern District of Illinois, 2001
Illinois, 2001

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

National Association of College and University Attorneys
Defense Research Institute
American Cancer Society Associate Board of Ambassadors (IL), Committee Chair

REPORTED DECISIONS AND PUBLICATIONS

Rowe v. Gary Housing Authority, et al., No. 2:06 CV 291, 2008 WL 754254 (N.D.Ind.)