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Practice Areas Experience Valerie Simons represents companies and individuals in the areas of alternative dispute resolution, appeals, business litigation and education/civil rights. Prior to co-founding Choquette & Simons, Valerie served as a trial attorney in Washington, D.C. at the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Education Section. She was lead trial counsel on behalf of the United States in dozens of cases around the country involving a variety of civil rights laws, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title IV and VI), the Equal Education Opportunity Act, Rehabilitation Act (Section 504), Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. She also consulted routinely with the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights on federal compliance issues. In 2000, the United States Attorney General presented Valerie with a Special Commendation for Outstanding Service to the Civil Rights Division. Upon returning to her native Colorado, Valerie clerked for the Honorable Michael L. Bender of the Colorado Supreme Court and then joined the law firm of Holland & Hart LLP. As a member of the firm’s Commercial Litigation Practice Group, she represented companies in mediation, litigation and appellate matters, primarily involving breach-of-contract and tort claims. Following Holland & Hart, Valerie served as the Associate Director of the Colorado Association of School Boards’ Legal Services Program, where she provided direct representation to school districts in all areas of school law, including civil rights, contract negotiation and review, and employment-related matters. Valerie is admitted to practice before the state and federal courts in Colorado and has represented the United States in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, the District of Kentucky, the Western District of Michigan, the District of South Carolina, the Western District of Texas, and the Western District of Virginia. Representative Matters As co-counsel, won a multi-million dollar award, including punitive damages, for a Colorado corporation before a federal jury in a breach-of-contract and torts case. Represented developer in multi-million dollar fraudulent non-disclosure litigation involving residential property. Drafted a “friend of the court” brief on behalf of a high school student, which led to a negotiated settlement worth tens of thousands of dollars in a peer-on-peer sexual harassment case. Drafted a “friend of the court” brief in Colorado Court of Appeals on behalf of multiple Colorado education organizations in state-wide school funding case. Represented school district in obtaining summary judgment on all claims in litigation involving Title IX, the Age Discrimination Act, and the U.S. Constitution. Lead trial counsel on behalf of the United States in resolution of United States v. Commonwealth of Virginia (involving the admission and integration of women at Virginia Military Institute following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the case). Professional Activities
Awards Special Commendation for Outstanding Service, U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, 2000 Education Georgetown University Law Center, J.D. , cum laude 1998 University of California, Berkeley, B.A., High Distinction, 1993 |
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