
Practice Areas: Employment & Labor
Licensed in Florida since: 1992
Education: Georgia State University College of Law

Sass Law Firm
601 West Dr. Martin Luther King Jr BoulevardTampa, FL 33603 Phone: 813-251-5599 Email: Janet E. Wise Visit website
Details
Janet E. Wise is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by The Florida Bar since 2001, which recognizes her special knowledge, skills and proficiency in labor and employment law, along with her professionalism and ethical standards. As an attorney with the Sass Law Firm, she brings over 30 years of experience to the practice which primarily represents employees from both the private and public sectors in workplace disputes. Ms. Wise speaks frequently on employment law topics, especially in the area of attorney ethics, and serves on various committees, both locally and nationally. Janet has made the Florida Super Lawyer® list in Employment Law as published by Thomson Reuters and was chosen by Lawdragon as one of its 500 Leading Plaintiff Employment and Civil Rights Lawyers.
Ms. Wise graduated cum laude from Newberry College before obtaining her law degree from Georgia State University College of Law, and she is admitted to both The Florida Bar and the State Bar of Georgia. Janet is a past Chair of The Florida Bar’s Labor & Employment Law Certification Committee, which is responsible for, among other things, determining whether applicants have met the minimum standards for Board Certification in Labor and Employment Law and developing and grading Labor and Employment Law certification examinations in Florida. Ms. Wise is a past President of the Florida Chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) and past co-chair of NELA’s Ethics and Sanctions Committee, and she continues to support attorneys who practice in the area of labor and employment law by her work on NELA’s Ethics and Sanctions Advisory Council.
For a full list of Janet’s awards, publications, speaking engagements, associations and committees, check out her Resume CV.
First Admitted: 1992, Florida
Professional Webpage: https://www.employmentlawtampa.com/attorneys/janet-e-wise/
- Co-Chair, 23rd Labor and Employment Law Annual Update and Certification Review - The Florida Bar, January 2023
- Chair – Labor & Employment Law Certification Committee, Standing Committee, The Florida Bar, 2020-2021
- Vice Chair – Labor & Employment Law Certification Committee, Standing Committee, The Florida Bar, 2019-2020
- Advisory Council Member – Ethics and Sanctions Committee, National Employment Lawyers Association, 2018-present
- Committee Member – Labor & Employment Law Certification Committee, Standing Committee, The Florida Bar, 2016-present
- Member – Governance Committee, National Employment Lawyers Association, 2015-present
- Co-Chair – Ethics and Sanctions Committee, National Employment Lawyers Association, 2008-2015
- President – Florida Chapter, National Employment Lawyers Association, 2007-2008
- President-Elect – Florida Chapter, National Employment Lawyers Association, 2006-2007
- Director – Sanctions Committee, Florida Chapter, National Employment Lawyers Association, 2004-2006
- Member – Ethics and Sanctions Committee, National Employment Lawyers Association, 2002-2018
- Member – Labor and Employment Law Section, The Florida Bar
- Member – National Employment Lawyers Association
- Member – Florida Chapter, National Employment Lawyers Association
- Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by The Florida Bar, since 2001
- Juris Doctor - Georgia State University College of Law, Atlanta, Georgia, 1992
- Bachelor of Arts - Newberry College, cum laude, Newberry, South Carolina, 1989
- Ethics of Interviewing Defendants' Employees and Candor to the Court – Community | Learning | Excellence, Annual Convention, National Employment Lawyers Association (Virtual), July, Speaker, 2020
- Does the Opposition Clause Have Only Selective Application? The Use of the Manager Rule by Defendants to Limit Retaliation Claims – Empower | Educate | Excel, Annual Convention, National Employment Lawyers Association (New Orleans, Louisiana), June, Speaker/Author, 2019
- Ethics Topics – Labor Day Conference, Florida Chapter, National Employment Lawyers Association (St. Pete Beach, Florida), September, Speaker, 2016
- Ethics Tips for NELA Lawyers – Labor Day Conference, Florida Chapter, National Employment Lawyers Association, September, Author, 2016
- Ethics Tips from the Experts – Celebrating 30 Years of Employee Rights Advocacy, Annual Convention, National Employment Lawyers Association (Atlanta, Georgia), June, Speaker, 2015
- Avoiding Sanctions - Celebrating 30 Years of Employee Rights Advocacy, Annual Convention, National Employment Lawyers Association, June, Author, 2015
- “Objection as to Form” – Obstructionist Conduct or an Exercise in Restraint? – Midwinter Meeting, Section of Labor and Employment Law, American Bar Association (Naples, Florida), March, Speaker/Author, 2015
- USERRA (The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act) – 15th Labor and Employment Law Annual Update and Certification Review, Continuing Legal Education Committee and Labor and Employment Law Section, The Florida Bar (Orlando, Florida), January, Speaker, 2015
- USERRA (The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act) – 14th Labor and Employment Law Annual Update and Certification Review, Continuing Legal Education Committee and Labor and Employment Law Section, The Florida Bar (Orlando, Florida), January, Speaker, 2014
- Internship Roundtable – Establishing a Winning Internship Program for the Company and Student: Legal Issues, Tampa Bay Technology Forum: Grow Tampa Bay Tech and the University of Tampa (Tampa, Florida), August, Speaker, 2013
- Issues to Consider When Providing Internship Programs – Establishing a Winning Internship Program for the Company and Student: Legal Issues, Tampa Bay Technology Forum: Grow Tampa Bay Tech and the University of Tampa, August, Author, 2013
- Obtaining Attorneys’ Fees Practically & Ethically – The Summit for Workers’ Rights, Annual Convention, National Employment Lawyers Association (Denver, Colorado), June, Speaker/Author, 2013
- USERRA (The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act) – 13th Labor and Employment Law Annual Update and Certification Review, Continuing Legal Education Committee and Labor and Employment Law Section, The Florida Bar (Orlando, Florida), February, Speaker, 2013
- Top Five Ethical Dilemmas Plaintiff’s Employment Lawyers Face – Soaking Up the Sun: Employment Law Exposure in Florida, Annual Conference, Florida Chapter, National Employment Lawyers Association (St. Pete Beach, Florida), September, Speaker/Author, 2012
- USERRA (The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act) – 12th Annual Labor and Employment Law Certification Review, Continuing Legal Education Committee and Labor and Employment Law Section, The Florida Bar (Orlando, Florida), February, Speaker, 2012
- Professionalism and Avoidance of Sanctions – Tips for Litigating Plaintiffs’ Employment Cases, State Bar of Georgia (Atlanta, Georgia), October, Speaker/Author, 2011
- Maternal Wall Bias and Related Claims – Litigation Perspectives from Start to Finish, Winter Conference, Florida Chapter, National Employment Lawyers Association (Lake Buena Vista, Florida), February, Speaker/Author, 2010
- NELA’s Ethics Survival Kit: The Rules, Opinions & Decisions All NELA Members Should Have at Their Fingertips – 20th Annual Convention, National Employment Lawyers Association (Rancho Mirage, California), June, Speaker/Author, 2009
- Welcome – Trial and Appellate Advocacy, Florida Chapter, National Employment Lawyers Association (St. Petersburg, Florida), September, Speaker, 2008
- The Life Cycle of the Attorney Client Relationship: Practice Tips from NELA’s Ethics and Sanctions Committee – 19th Annual Convention, National Employment Lawyers Association (Atlanta, Georgia), June, Speaker, 2008
- The Care and Feeding of Witnesses: Fact Pattern – Preparing or Coaching Witnesses: Where Is The Ethical Line? – Connect | Explore | Energize, 18th Annual Convention, National Employment Lawyers Association (San Juan, Puerto Rico), June, Speaker, 2007
- Preparing or Coaching the Witness: Where is the Ethical Line? – Connect | Explore | Energize, 18th Annual Convention, National Employment Lawyers Association, June, Author, 2007
- Who Can We Talk To? Ex Parte Communications and Ethical Concerns – Advocating the Rights of Employees in the 21st Century, Florida Chapter, National Employment Lawyers Association (Stuart, Florida), April, Speaker/Author, 2007
- Motions for Sanctions in Federal Court – Employment Law at Its Best!, Labor and Employment Law Section, The Florida Bar (Plantation, Florida), September, Speaker, 2006
- Motions for Sanctions in Federal and State Court – Employment Law at Its Best!, Labor and Employment Law Section, The Florida Bar, September, Author, 2006
- The Ethical Conundrum: Sanctions Against Plaintiffs and Their Attorneys – Bridging the Divide: Strategies for Fairness in the Workplace, 17th Annual Convention, National Employment Lawyers Association (San Francisco, California), June, Speaker, 2006
- Survey of Rule 11 Case Law from 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and D.C. Circuits – Bridging the Divide: Strategies for Fairness in the Workplace, National Employment Lawyers Association, June, Author, 2006
- , Can my employer fire me for using medical marijuana?, Employee Rights - Florida, 2021
- , Florida Super Lawyers® – Employment Law for Employees since 2014, Thomson Reuters, 2023
- , 500 Leading Plaintiff Employment and Civil Rights Lawyers since 2020, LawDragon, 2023
- , Who’s Who in American Law since 2017, Marquis Who’s Who®, 2023
- , Lead Counsel Verified in Employment Law since 2020, Thomson Reuters, 2023
- , Professional Involvement since 2020, Lawyer Legion, 2023
- , Top Attorney - Superb 10.0 Rating since 2006, Avvo, 2023
- , Florida Super Lawyers® – Employment Law for Employees since 2014, Thomson Reuters, 2022
- , Who’s Who in American Law since 2017, Marquis Who’s Who®, 2022
- , Top Attorney Superb 10.0 since 2006, Avvo, 2022
- , Professional Involvement Recognition since 2020, Lawyer Legion, 2022
- , 500 Leading Plaintiff Employment and Civil Rights Lawyers since 2020, Lawdragon, 2021
- , Legal 2021 in Labor and Employment - USA, Finance Monthly, 2021
- Lifetime Achievement Award, Marquis Who’s Who®, 2019
- National Employment Lawyers Association
- The Florida Bar
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2014 - 2023
Certificates and credentials
Labor & Employment Law
