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Overview

Amanda advises educational institutions regarding day-to-day compliance issues, as well as high-profile challenges related to internal and government investigations.

Amanda draws upon a deep background in education law to counsel clients on a range of compliance challenges, including those relating to Title IX, Title VII, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Clery Act, among others. She routinely advises both public and private institutions of higher education, as well as providers of K-12 education and ancillary businesses operating in the education industry.

In addition to her focus on compliance, Amanda also represents clients in all aspects of investigations brought by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Department of Justice, including conducting on-campus witness interviews, preparing for government interviews, drafting written responses to the government, and responding to data requests.

Amanda’s background in education law is reinforced by deep subject-matter knowledge of state and federal employment law, and she has provided both counseling and litigation advice to clients facing employment-law challenges. She represents employers in state and federal court litigations, internal investigations, and administrative proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and counsels clients on a broad spectrum of employment related issues, including employment and separation agreements, restrictive covenants, and reductions-in-force.

Prior to entering private practice, Amanda served as an Education volunteer in the Peace Corps in Niger.

Industry

Services

Recognition

  • The Best Lawyers In America®, Education Law, 2023 and 2024
  • Little Rock Soiree Magazine, Best Lawyers 2021, Labor & Employment

Education

  • J.D., Syracuse University College of Law
    • summa cum laude
    • Class Valedictorian
    • Syracuse Law Review, Editor-in-Chief
  • B.A., Syracuse University
    • S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
    • English, Communications

Admissions

  • Arkansas
  • Massachusetts

Professional Memberships and Certifications

  • Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
  • Central Arkansas Human Resource Association (CAHRA)
  • Internal Association of Defense Counsel (IADC)
  • Arkansas Bar Association
  • Pulaski County Bar Association
  • Former member, Boston Bar Association, Public Interest Leadership Program (2016-2017)


*Amanda works remotely and is licensed in Arkansas and Massachusetts, practicing in Little Rock, AR. Contact Amanda via email or telephone for in-person/virtual meetings. Use the Boston office address for mail/deliveries.
Experience
  • Advises educational institutions on compliance with state and federal law, including Title IX, Title VII, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Clery Act, and others.
  • Represents private educational institutions in all aspects of investigations brought by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and Department of Justice, including conducting on-campus witness interviews, preparing for government interviews, drafting written responses to the government, and responding to data requests.
  • Represents and advises employers in state and federal court litigations, internal investigations, and administrative proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
  • Counsels employers on hiring, training, HR, and discipline issues, particularly in connection with employment discrimination statues, the American Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
  • Manages internal investigations regarding employee misconduct, allegations of discrimination, and other issues.
  • Counsels clients on a broad spectrum of employment related issues, including employment and separation agreements, restrictive covenants, and reductions-in-force.
  • Represents employers defending actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
  • Has successfully defended employers against numerous claims of discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, breach of contract, independent contractor misclassification, tort claims, and others.
  • Served as trial counsel to school district to successfully earn declaration of unitary status from federal court under desegregation plan.
Outside the Office

When she is not working, Amanda enjoys spending time with her husband, Peter Shults, and their two young sons. Amanda works remotely in our Link office and resides in Little Rock, Arkansas, where her husband’s family has lived for generations. In her free time, Amanda dabbles in gourmet home cooking and enjoys reading literary fiction and memoir. Amanda hails from upstate New York and practiced in Boston before moving to Arkansas.