Education
J.D., cum laude, University of Michigan, 1976
A.B., cum laude, Harvard University, 1974

John L. Gierak co-chairs Clark Hill’s Education and Municipal Practice Group, and focuses his practice in the areas of labor and employment law, education law, and litigation. John represents public and private employers in all aspects of labor and employment law, including contract negotiations, as well as acting as general counsel.

John has been listed in “Best Lawyers in America” since 2005. He has been named in “Michigan Super Lawyers" as one of the "Top 100" lawyers in the state since 2007.

With respect to labor and employment law, John routinely represents and advises clients in the areas of grievances and arbitration, unfair labor practices, wrongful discharge, employment discrimination, fringe benefit and wage and hour issues, FMLA compliance, and day-to-day matters of personnel administration, such as layoffs and employee handbooks. During the course of his lengthy career, he has negotiated contracts on behalf of numerous employers, and has worked with a majority of the major unions, including the UAW, Teamsters, Steelworkers, AFSCME and MEA.

In the area of education law, John represents and advises public school districts and charter schools in the areas noted above. In addition, he counsels clients in matters of constitutional law, tenure and election law, the Revised School Code, special education, vocational education, student discipline, Open Meetings Act, Freedom of Information Act, Title IX, and civil rights.

John is a frequent presenter on issues of labor and employment law, and education law. In the public sector, he has spoken on behalf of the Michigan Association of School Boards, Michigan Council of School Attorneys, Metropolitan Detroit Bureau of School Studies, Michigan Negotiators Association, Michigan Association of School Personnel Administrators, Michigan Public Employment Labor Relations Association, Michigan Business Officials Association, and the Michigan Federated Chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children.

He has also presented on behalf of Michigan State University, Ferris State University, intermediate and local school districts, and others. In the private sector, he has made presentations to the American Society of Employers, National Tooling and Machining Association, Hospital Personnel Administrators Association, a number of hospital organizations, local chambers of commerce and others. In addition, he has also been a presenter for the Institute of Continuing Legal Education.

John is a contributing author of Michigan Wrongful Discharge and Employment Discrimination Law (ICLE, Second Edition, 1994 and updates), and Employment Law in Michigan (ICLE, 1997 and updates). He is a contributing author of Michigan Public Employment and Labor Relations Law (Michigan Public Employer Labor Relations Association, 1994), and also the author of “Abolish the Teacher Tenure Act to Improve the Quality of Public Education,” Michigan Bar Journal (November, 1989).