Experience

Jacqulyn Schulte focuses her practice on both preventing litigation as well as defending it. Ms. Schulte specializes in training employers on how to utilize employment and labor laws to accomplish business goals and decrease legal exposure. She develops and facilitates training programs which she has taught to hundreds of executives, managers and staff all over the country. Being a former human resources professional and manager herself, Ms. Schulte also recognizes the need for employers to have instant access to legal advice, especially when faced with tough employee relations situations. Her availability and expertise to counsel clients through even the most complex employee relations issues and thus decrease the risk of litigation is an asset valued by her clients. Ms. Schulte is also a successful defense litigator, having won most cases by summary motion, and others by favorable jury verdict. She has also negotiated collective bargaining agreements and has successfully defended clients in numerous arbitrations and administrative proceedings.

Education

University of Michigan – Bachelor of Arts in Human Resources and Communications (with Honors) - 1988
Wayne State University Law School - Juris Doctor (Cum Laude) – 1995

Professional Background and Licensure

Ms. Schulte’s professional background includes management positions for the former First of America Bank, now PNC Bank. Her human resources responsibilities focused on employee relations issues, recruitment, employee evaluation, compensation, and training and development. She was formerly employed with the Michigan-based law firms of Floyd E. Allen & Associates and Foley, Baron & Metzger, PLLC as an Associate Principal and Employment & Labor Law Practice Group Leader.

She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan. She is also a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and its Human Resources Association of Greater Detroit Chapter, the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel, and serves as a case evaluator with the Wayne County Mediation Tribunal.

Services Offered (selected)

• Employee Handbook and Personnel Policies Legal Compliance Reviews (ask about our complimentary legal compliance reviews)
• Employee Relations Advice and Consulting: Keeping employers out of litigation or reducing their exposure to liability by providing legal advice prior to terminating or disciplining an employee and when administering disability accommodation and leave of absence requests.
• Executive and Other Employment and Separation Agreements
• Independent Investigations: Utilizing outside counsel to investigate and report on employee complaints of harassment or discrimination ensures comprehensive attorney-client privilege protection of results.
• MDCR & EEOC Representation: 100% success rate in responding to charges filed with these agencies.
• Settlement Agreements and Releases
• Training Facilitation and Program Development (see below)

Training Seminars & Presentations (selected)

• Management Best Practices: From Difficult Conversations to Legal Compliance; 2012 - present
• Legal Danger Zones: Employment Laws Every HR Professional and Manager Needs to Know;  2004 – present
• Regaining Employer Control of Employees’ Intermittent FMLA Leaves of Absence; 2005 – present
• Preventing Workplace Harassment, Promoting Diversity and a Respectful Workplace; 2008 - present
• Family & Medical Leave Act: What HR Professionals & Managers Need to Know; 2006 - present
• Administering the Americans with Disabilities Act; 2006 - present
• Workplace Investigations – From Complaint to Resolution; 2006 – present
• Managing Within A Union Contract; 2007 - present
• Understanding Unionization: Myths & Facts; 2008 - present
• Documenting for Discipline & Termination; 2007 - present
• Interviewing Techniques: Increasing New Employee Fit While Decreasing Legal Liability; 2006 - present
• Absenteeism (Now You See Me, Now You Don’t): Landmines to Beware and Tools for Success; 2007

Speaking Forums (selected)

• Action Benefits, Southfield, MI
• Adrian Steel, locations in FL, GA, MD, MO, OH and MI
• American Association of School Personnel Administrators national conferences,
• Detroit, MI, Seattle, WA, Harrisburg, PA, and San Antonio, TX
• American Axle & Manufacturing, Rochester Hills, MI
• American Society of Employers annual conferences, Dearborn and Novi, MI
• Belle Tire, management training throughout Midwest & individual store training
• Botsford Health Care Continuum, Farmington Hills, MI
• Dana Corp. nationwide management training, Toledo, OH
• Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce, Detroit, MI
• Durr Automotive, Plymouth and Southfield, MI
• Kresge Foundation, Birmingham, MI
• Michigan Association of Health Access Professionals annual and educational conferences, Midland, Mt. Pleasant, and Port Huron, MI
• Michigan First Credit Union, Lathrup Village, MI
• Michigan Municipal League, Ann Arbor, MI
• National Industrial Liaison Group national conference, New Orleans, LA, and Indianapolis, IN
• Oakland County, Pontiac MI
• Oakland University, Auburn Hills, MI
• Pennsylvania Association of School Personnel Administrators annual conference, Harrisburg, PA
• Penske Automotive Group, Atlanta, GA, Madison, WI, Minneapolis, MN, and Bloomfield Hills, MI
• Piston Automotive, Redford, MI
• Society for Human Resource Management chapters in Adrian, Ann Arbor, Cadillac, Jackson, Saginaw, and Tecumseh, MI
• Toyoda Gosei, NA, Troy, MI, San Antonio, TX, Louisville, KY, Nashville, TN, and St. Louis, MO

Training Style

Ms. Schulte has won rave reviews for her unique teaching style. All of her seminars, no matter what the topic, are interactive and fun! When was the last time you heard that about a legal seminar? Ms. Schulte teaches course content from the human resources or labor professional’s perspective. Information is easy to understand and immediately useful in the attendee’s working environment. Forms, checklists and other helpful tools are always provided. 

She also employs entertaining stories and illustrations to make points and keep attendee attention through laughter. She encourages - and rewards - attendee participation, usually with chocolate. She remains available to answer attendee questions on breaks, following the seminar, and for days later via email.

Ms. Schulte’s unique combination of important course content, easy-to-use information, and interactive and fun presentation style have made her seminars the top-rated and most-requested sessions of several different national and state conferences. Seminars can be tailored for groups of any size and attendees from any organizational level.

Publications (selected)

Employment Laws Every Business Owner and Manager Needs to Know, Corp! Magazine, MI ed, September 2006

Arbitration Agreements Enforceable Without Employee Signature on Agreement, HRAGD I’m Connected, Vol. 29, No. 1, January 2008