As a licensed teacher, Aleks’ passion for education runs deep and is at the core of her work with clients. She knows that every client, like every student, requires a unique and individualized approach to optimize success.
Aleks counsels colleges, universities and schools on investigations, litigation and compliance matters arising from a wide range of harassment, discrimination and safety issues. These include advising on matters in response to internal and Office of Civil Rights (OCR) complaints, as well as litigation claims following alleged student or employee misconduct involving criminal activity; minors on campus; and sex, race, age and national origin discrimination. She works closely with institutions, spending time on campuses and conducting interviews, to preemptively isolate potential challenges and design measures to address and promote a healthy, inclusive and safe environment. Aleks invests time to build strong relationships with clients, so she can understand their individualized risks and craft solutions that are right for them.
Clients rely on Aleks' breadth and depth of experience conducting sensitive internal and external investigations. She prepares confidential, privileged reports and assists decision-makers in addressing investigative findings in a variety of contexts, including sexual misconduct, athletic department, board-mandated and non-compliance investigations.
Education law is a niche practice that is only getting more nuanced, and Aleks knows responsiveness and transparency are a must. If issues escalate, clients trust Aleks for her extensive litigation experience, including serving as first chair in federal and state jury and bench trials, as well as first chair federal appellate court proceedings.
Prior to joining the firm, Aleks worked at the U.S. Department of Education, Office of the General Counsel under Former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in Washington, D.C., and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in Den Haag, Netherlands.