Grace Lee advises independent schools nationwide on a broad range of issues including employment issues, student matters, regulatory compliance, internal investigations, leave and accommodations, wage and hour laws, executive contracts and board governance.
Grace partners with school leaders and boards to navigate complex challenges, manage reputational and legal risk, and develop practical solutions that support the institution’s mission and goals.
With more than 20 years of experience working alongside heads of school, business officers, trustees, and human resources professionals, Grace understands the operational realities and unique challenges facing independent schools. She takes a proactive approach to drafting and reviewing key policies such as employment agreements, enrollment contracts, employee and student handbooks, whistleblower and conflict of interest policies, bylaws, independent contractor agreements, and trip forms. Grace works closely with independent school boards, reviewing and developing board policies and bylaws and providing guidance and training on governance best practices and risk management. She also advises school leaders on best practices in hiring, admissions, performance management, and internal investigations.
An experienced presenter, Grace designs and delivers training programs to help schools foster safe and respectful environments for students and employees. Her training topics include appropriate boundaries between adults and students; prevention of harassment and discrimination; responding to student bullying or harassment concerns; effective performance management; and best practices in hiring and admissions.
Grace brings an insider’s perspective to her practice, informed by her experience as vice president, legal affairs, for the National Business Officers Association (NBOA). In that role, she helped more than 1,300 member schools address evolving legal and compliance priorities, created tools and resources for member schools, developed and taught online courses, and co-authored “Culture Meets Compliance: The NBOA Guide to Assessing Human Resources at Independent Schools.” As NBOA’s legal counsel, she continues to monitor emerging legal developments and help independent schools understand and respond to an evolving legal landscape.
- Conducts internal compliance audits for independent schools and drafts employment contracts, student enrollment contracts, vendor agreements, handbooks, and governance policies.
- Assisted more than 1,300 NBOA member schools with legal, compliance, and human resources issues affecting nonprofit independent school business operations.
- Works with board on governance best practices, board policies, and bylaws.
- National Business Officers Association (NBOA)
- National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
- Asian Pacific American Bar Association of the Greater Washington, D.C. Area, Inc. (APABA-DC)
- JD Supra Readers’ Choice Award, 2023
- “Deep Dive: Ask an Attorney”
National Business Officers Association (NBOA) Annual Meeting, March 3, 2026, and February 24, 2025 - “7 Considerations That Will Improve the Performance Management Processes”
National Business Officers Association (NBOA) Annual Meeting & Business Solutions Showcase, March 2, 2026 - “Navigating High-Stakes Legal Challenges”
National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Thrive, February 27, 2026 - “Getting Employees to Thrive: Improving Performance Management Processes”
National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Thrive, February 26, 2026 - “Governance in the Gray Areas: Navigating Complaints and Investigations with Clarity and Care”
Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE) Governance Conference, September 30, 2025 - “Hot Topics in Human Resources” webinar
Making Independent Schools Be Outstanding (MISBO), March 5, 2025 - “Moving Through Conflict: Considerations in Complaints and Investigations”
National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Annual Conference, February 27, 2025 - “The Room Where It Happened: Complaints and Investigations”
National Business Officers Association (NBOA) Annual Meeting, February 24, 2025 - “Admissions and the Law” webinar
Independent Schools Admissions Association of Greater New York (ISAAGNY), October 24, 2024 - “Back-to-School Legal & Regulatory Update” webinar
National Business Officers Association (NBOA), September 26, 2024 - “Hot Legal Topics in HR”
New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) Business Affairs Conference, May 8-10, 2024 - “Balancing the Scales: Navigating Student Misconduct, Investigations, and Discipline”
National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Annual Conference, February 29, 2024 - “Checks and Balances: Identifying and Mitigating Business Office Risk”
National Business Officers Association (NBOA) Annual Meeting, February 27, 2024 - “The CFO as Strategic Partner for the Head of School”
National Business Officers Association (NBOA) Annual Meeting, February 27, 2024 - “Deep Dive: Legal Issues Town Hall”
National Business Officers Association (NBOA) Annual Meeting, February 26, 2024 - “Transgender Student Participation in Athletics: Legal Implications for Independent Schools” webinar
New Jersey Association of Independent Schools (NJAIS), January 24, 2024 - “No More Affirmative Action: What Does the Supreme Court’s Decision Mean for Independent Schools?”
Connecticut Association of Independent Schools Annual Conference on Governance, September 21, 2023 - “Back to School Legal Update” webinar
National Business Officers Association (NBOA), August 3, 2023 - “The Supreme Court’s Ruling on Affirmative Action: What’s Next for Independent Schools” webinar
National Association of Independent Schools – Enrollment Management Association (NAIS-EMA), July 12, 2023 - “Improving Financial Sustainability Through School Mergers and Collaboration”
National Business Officers Association (NBOA) Annual Meeting, February 21, 2023 - “Ask an Attorney”
National Business Officers Association (NBOA) Annual Meeting, February 20, 2023 - “Hiring and Legal Challenges”
Summer Programs and Auxiliary Revenue Collaborative (SPARC), February 16, 2023 - “Legal Trends and Hot Topics”
Tennessee Association of Independent Schools, January 24, 2023 - “Handbooks – A Deep Dive”
MISBO Human Resources Intensive, June 13, 2022 - “Legal Hot Topics”
National Business Officers Association (NBOA) Annual Meeting, February 22, 2022 - “Raising the Bar: Using DEI Work to Inform Performance Management”
National Business Officers Association (NBOA) Annual Meeting, February 22, 2022