Janelle Ruley has been an ardent charter rights advocate and lawyer since 2007 and has assisted in the establishment or continued operation of thousands of California charter schools. Janelle’s primary focus is on charter establishment, revision, renewal and revocation defense. She has represented charter schools in numerous venues, including before administrative agencies, the courts, school districts, county boards of education, and the State Board of Education.

In her daily practice, Janelle regularly counsels clients regarding charter development, charter petition appeals, charter material revisions, drafting and revising MOUs, negotiations with chartering authorities, compliance with public transparency and open meeting laws and related policy development, as well as never-ending changes to the Charter Schools Act, student admission and lottery requirements, charter school location requirements, Local Control and Accountability Plan issues, and a wide range of safe school issues.

Janelle is a frequent presenter at charter school conferences, and a regular ethics, open meetings, and conflict of interest trainer for charter school boards.

After a joyful public education journey in the Bay Area, Janelle attended Dartmouth College, which altered her trajectory and vision for her life. She participated in just about everything, and completed a Senior Fellowship, studying institutional change through the lens of coeducation at Dartmouth. Janelle worked in technology in northern Viriginia and the District of Columbia for several years after college, until she could no longer resist the pull to return home to California. Janelle attended law school in Sacramento, at the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.

Janelle resides in West Hollywood with her wife, Elizabeth, and two perfect cats. She enjoys travel, pickleball, and the San Francisco Giants in her downtime.