Rachel E. Clark

Rachel Clark joined Laner Muchin in 2024. She concentrates her practice on advising public and private employers in compliance matters involving state and federal employment laws, including the Family Medical Leave Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Illinois Human Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act. Rachel also represents employers in labor law matters, including grievance processing, labor arbitrations, collective bargaining and employee discipline, as well as proceedings before the NLRB and public sector labor boards.

In addition, she has extensive experience providing education and training on labor and employment topics such as terminations, disciplinary issues, leaves of absence, wage and hour issues, organizing efforts and credentialing compliance.

Prior to joining the firm, Rachel served for 16 years as Associate General Counsel for the largest educators’ union in Illinois, where she provided a wide range of services and advice related to labor, employment and education matters.

Rachel also presides as an arbitrator in Cook County’s Mandatory Arbitration Program.

Honors, Memberships and Publications

• Arbitrator, Cook County Mandatory Arbitration Program, 2015 – Present
• Election Protection Volunteer, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, 2014 – Present
• President, Illinois Education Association Staff Organization, 2021 – 2023
• Trustee, Professional Staff Pension Plan, 2017 – 2023
• Panelist, Illinois Public Sector Labor Law Conference, Employee Discipline: Surveillance and Privacy, December 2023
• Panelist, Illinois Public Sector Labor Law Conference, Educational Labor Law Reform, December 2016
• Panelist, Chicago Bar Association Young Lawyers Section, Labor and Employment Law Committee Forum, Successfully Building a Career in Labor and Employment Law, October 2016
• Presenter, Adolescent Dating Violence Prevention: High School Principals’ Practices and Perceptions, American School Health Association 87^th National Conference, October 2013
• Co-presenter, IASA/IASB/ISSO Joint Annual Conference, Basic Bargaining Law for School Administrators, November 2012
• Panelist, Western Illinois Administrators’ Roundtable, Issues in Implementing School Reform Legislation, May 2012
• Panelist, Illinois State Bar Association webinar, Educational Labor and Teacher Evaluation Reform, August 2012
• Panelist, Illinois Public Sector Labor Law Conference, Social Networking and the Workplace, December 2010
• Peer Reviewer, Journal of School Health, 2012 – Present
• Co-Author, Preventing and Responding to Teen Dating Violence: A National Study of School Principals’ Perspectives and Practices, Violence and Gender, December 2017
• Author, Illinois State Bar Association Labor Law Section Newsletter, Explaining the Interrelation of the Unemployment Insurance Act, School Code, and Administrative Code, April 2009

• Counseling and other assistance related to an employer’s compliance obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, wrongful or retaliatory termination, whistleblowing and other constitutional rights cases, the Fair Labor Standards Act and all other state, federal and local employment and labor laws.
• Defending employers in agency investigations before the EEOC, USDOL and numerous other federal, state and local government investigatory agencies.
• Defending employers before various labor relations boards in complex unfair labor practices and representation cases.
• Providing training to executives and managers on a range of employment-related topics, including leave and disability, discrimination and harassment, social media, hiring, background checks, effective documentation and discipline practices and a variety of other employment-related topics.
• Counseling non-profit and educational entities regarding employees’ compliance with education and social services responsibilities.