Practice Areas
School Law – Public School Districts and Independent Schools
Education
- B.A. (History) - University of Georgia
- M.A. coursework (Journalism and Mass Communications) - New York University
- J.D. - The Florida State University School of Law
Career
Heidi practiced civil litigation at a private firm in Tallahassee, Florida, before joining the Florida Department of Education’s General Counsel’s Office as an Assistant General Counsel. After that, she served as an Assistant General Counsel for the Florida Department of Health and then as a hearing officer for the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. After moving to Washington State with her family, Heidi served as Policy and Legal Services Director for the Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA) for five years, writing model policy for the state’s 295 school districts and providing legal guidance for board directors and superintendents statewide. While at WSSDA, she founded the WSSDA Law Conference to provide school board members with legal insight to support their vision and goals for the Districts they served. She also served on multiple statewide committees and workgroups contributing to statewide policy implementation. Following WSSDA, she served as Deputy General Counsel for one of the largest school districts in the state before joining Vandeberg, Johnson & Gandara, PS before joining VJG in 2019.
Currently serves as a guest lecturer for the PLU and UW-Tacoma Principal Certification programs.
3 Things You Are Most Proud of Professionally
- Working at VJG
- The School Law Practice Group at VJG
- Being a founding member of the National School Attorneys Association (NSAA)
2 Things A Client Wouldn’t Know About You
- I am a huge fan of University of Georgia football (“Go Dawgs!”).
- If I were not an attorney, I would spend all my time gardening.
Why You Decided to Practice and/or Continue Practicing This Type of Law
As the daughter of a Mexican immigrant who practiced as a pioneering cardiovascular surgeon in the United States for over forty years, I witnessed firsthand the generational impact of education. This experience motivates me daily as I assist school districts in navigating the highly regulated field of K-12 school law.
As an Attorney What Makes You Stand Out
I understand how school districts function from the inside out. This allows me to help my clients problem-solve and avoid liability.