Well-being Leader | Legal Educator | International Speaker | Wellness & Leadership Coach | Nonprofit Consultant | Yoga & Meditation Teacher | Media Host

Janet is a wellbeing, diversity, inclusion & belonging leader

Janet currently works as a Wellbeing, Diversity & Inclusion officer for the Faculty of Law at University of Groningen in the Netherlands. In that capacity she advises the Faculty Board on WDI issues, supports the wellbeing of students and staff; assists in cultivating a diverse culture of inclusion and belonging in the faculty; facilitates trainings on social safety, wellbeing, and inclusive leadership; and teaches.

Janet is a legal educator

Janet is a proud graduate of Howard University School of Law in Washington, DC. She practiced law in Pittsburgh, PA and Washington, DC before directing a nonprofit organization that provided transitional housing, case management, and job training and placement services to homeless and at-risk families. Janet started her teaching career as an adjunct professor at the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law and then completed a clinical fellowship at the University of Baltimore School of Law before joining Washburn.

Janet has taught law for over 20 years. She served on the law faculty at Washburn Law from 2004 until spring 2022, when she was awarded the title of Professor Emerita.  At Washburn Law Janet directed the Small Business and Nonprofit Law Clinic, taught Nonprofit Law, Race & the Law, Entrepreneurial Law, Property Law, and helped to lead the law school’s Third Year Anywhere externship program.

Janet is the founder of Well-Law

Janet believes that a focus on wellness should be an integral part of the legal profession. As a leader in law school and lawyer wellness and a certified yoga instructor and wellness coach, Janet has developed Well-Law as a signature program to help law students and lawyers develop tools to manage the stresses inherent in law school and law practice and to thrive.

Janet believes in grounding diversity, inclusion, and belonging in wellness principles.

Janet believes that wellness and justice are intertwined and, as a voice for wellness as justice, she held daily Meditations for the Racial Justice Journey on Facebook Live from June 1 - 30, 2020 as a space of refuge and renewal for people working for racial justice. 

Janet works, teaches and speaks internationally.

During the 2018-2019 and 2021-2022 academic years, Janet was a visiting professor with the Faculty of Law at the University of Groningen, Netherlands, where she taught leadership courses at the Honours College; gave numerous presentations on wellbeing for PhD students and supervisors; and gave presentations on the intersection of well-being, diversity, and belonging. During their first year in the Netherlands, Janet and her family had the fun experience of being featured on House Hunters International.

In addition to her time in Groningen, Janet has taught law courses and given presentations in Tbilisi, Georgia and Budapest, Hungary and she taught in Washburn Law’s summer law program in Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Janet counsels nonprofits on best practices for board governance.

Janet has been in the nonprofit sector for 25+ years as a nonprofit executive, educator, lawyer, and consultant. Through the Washburn Law Clinic, she supervised students in forming and representing nonprofit organizations. She is a frequent speaker and consultant in the area of nonprofit governance.

Janet is a wellness & leadership coach.

As a wellness & leadership coach Janet guides clients in elevating their personal and professional lives. She works with people on a wide range of issues to help them gain self-awareness, clarify their goals, and to lead diverse environments with alignment, intention, and impact. Common coaching themes are: balancing work and personal life, managing chronic stress and burnout, effective communication, purpose-driven leadership, career and life transitions, grief and loss, and developing a personal wellness plan. Janet is certified in holistic wellness coaching and will complete advanced training as an ICF certified transformational leadership coach in 2025.

Janet is a yoga teacher and energy practitioner.

After years of casual yoga practice Janet began to study yoga seriously as a way to manage her chronic pain. Through her yoga practice, Janet has experienced a healing journey that continues today. On the mat Janet is both student and teacher. Her practice provides an ongoing landscape of learning about patience, strength, surrender, fear, compassion, and ultimately, self-love. She incorporates meditation, breathing practices, Intuitive Reiki,  EFT (Tapping), and other energy modalities into her teaching and practice. Janet has a passion for making yoga accessible to people regardless of age, lack of income, race, gender, or ability. She is a certified yoga teacher (RYT 200-hour) and has completed 800-hour training in yoga therapy.

Janet is a media professional.

For its first eight seasons, Janet was the host of the PBS series, I've Got Issues, on KTWU-TV in Kansas. The community affairs show covers a wealth of topics such as politics, health, education, and more.