Johanna Zelman is the office managing partner for FordHarrison's Hartford, Connecticut office.
Johanna's background in municipal employment and school law and healthcare results in highly competent, in-depth and knowledgeable advice and representation for her clients. While she has represented a wide variety of employers from various industries, Johanna has a specific strength in matters arising in the municipal employment setting and in public schools and universities. Johanna represents municipalities and school boards in a wide array of matters, from consulting to litigation.
Johanna’s prior work at Harvard University's affiliate hospitals, where she had direct contact with patients being treated for various mental health disorders, offers not only a unique perspective in legal issues related to special education, but proves extremely helpful when handling issues involving the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and other behavioral or mental health issues arising in the employment setting.
Johanna is highly effective in defending fact-intensive and highly complicated counseling and litigation matters related to employment, general civil rights and special education.
Johanna has litigated matters and successfully defended public and private sector employers and governments before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and the Connecticut Supreme, Appellate and Superior Courts. She has also represented employers and school districts before various state and federal administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, the Connecticut State Department of Education the Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission, the Connecticut Workers' Compensation Commission and the Department of Labor.