JoAnn M. Hart

JoAnn M. Hart is a 1985 graduate cum laude of the University of Wisconsin Law School. JoAnn’s practice emphasizes school law, including special education litigation, and public and private management side labor and employment law. Over the past 25 years, she has worked closely with school districts, other municipalities and private employers throughout Wisconsin. In this capacity, JoAnn has represented school districts at the administrative level, as well as on appeal in federal district court, in special education due process hearings. She has appeared before the Department of Workforce Development Equal Rights Division and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She has represented employers before the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission, arbitrators and administrative law judges.

JoAnn’s practice also involves counseling and representing school districts and other municipalities in a variety of legal issues, including, but not limited to, public records and open meetings issues, special education issues, student discipline and expulsions, pupil records, constitutional issues, and ethics. She regularly presents to a variety of audiences on these topics and more.

JoAnn is a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin and serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Labor and Employment Section. In addition, she is a member of the Dane County Bar Association and serves on its Educational Programs Committee. JoAnn is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin School Attorneys Association.

JoAnn has been selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America each year since 2007, in the categories of Education Law and Labor and Employment Law.

JoAnn's first professional degree was a teaching degree from Alverno College, where she received her Bachelor of Music degree with honors, majoring in Vocal Music Education and Applied Voice. JoAnn continues to use her musical training by singing in several choral groups and performing in local community theater productions. JoAnn has also been active in the United Way of Dane County for over twenty years, and currently serves on the Board of Directors and as Chair of the Community Solutions Team for Agency and Volunteer Development.