Janay M. Stevens

Janay is a partner in the Vorys Columbus office and a member of the labor and employment group.  She represents and counsels employers, spanning from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies, on a broad range of employment matters. 

Janay frequently provides advice to employers on a wide range of employment issues and leads internal workplace investigations for employers dealing with issues of actual or potential wrongdoing by employees or management.  Janay has significant experience leading internal investigations for employers facing complaints of unlawful harassment, discrimination, retaliation and other forms of misconduct.

In addition, Janay routinely defends employers in state and federal court and administrative agencies throughout the country against allegations of discrimination and harassment, accommodation and leave violations, breach of or enforcement of restrictive covenants, wrongful termination, among other matters. 

Janay founded and leads the Vorys Initiative for Business Empowerment, an innovative program aimed at making legal services more accessible to minority owned businesses.  She also serves on the Vorys Hiring Committee and Vorys’ associate evaluation committee.  She is a member of the Columbus Bar Association, the John Mercer Langston Bar Association, and currently serves on the board for Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio.  

Janay received her J.D. from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, where she was the business editor of the Ohio State Law Journal.  She received her B.A. from the University of Nevada.  While in law school, Janay served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Algenon L. Marbley in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.  Janay currently serves as adjunct faculty at The Moritz College of Law teaching employment discrimination.  

Career highlights include:

• Leading internal workplace investigations involving multi-phase processes of interviewing complainants and witnesses, fact-finding and reporting
• Successful defense of clients in nationwide Fair Labor Standards Act collective actions
• Obtaining summary judgment in favor of a national employer in age discrimination and retaliation lawsuit
• Obtaining summary judgment in favor of a national employer in sex discrimination, hostile work environment and promissory estoppel lawsuit
• Obtaining summary judgment in favor of a regional employer in race discrimination and hostile work environment lawsuit
• Obtaining preliminary injunctions and securing the denial of preliminary injunctions for non-compete agreements in state and federal courts

Honors & Recognitions

Outstanding Recent Alumni Award, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, 2023

Chambers and Partners, Leading Lawyer in Labor and Employment, 2022-2025

Columbus CEO, Best Lawyers, Labor and Employment Law, 2023

Columbus Business First, 40 Under 40, 2022

The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), 2022-2025; Labor and Employment Law – Management, 2021-2025 

Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Stars, Employment Litigation, 2019-2023

The National Black Lawyers, Top 40 Under 40 in Ohio, 2020

Hot List, Lawyers of Color, 2020

Professional & Community Activities

Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio, Board Member, January 2024 to present

The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, Adjunct Faculty, Employment Discrimination, Fall 2024

Columbus Bar Association, Board of Governors, June 2020 to June 2024

John Mercer Langston Bar Association, President, July 2020-June 2021; Member, September 2013 to present

Leadership Columbus, Signature Program, Class of 2023

City of Columbus, Civilian Review Board Working Group, August 2020-December 2020

Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, Fellow, 2017; City Lead, 2018-2020

American Academy of Pediatrics | Ohio Chapter, Foundation Advisory Board Member, May 2019-May 2021

Women Lawyers of Franklin County, Board Member, June 2019-June2021

YWCA Columbus, Chase Gen Y Leadership Project, Class VI Participant, 2014-2015

Columbus Bar Association, Managing Partners Diversity Initiative, Advisory Committee, 2018-2021

Columbus Bar Association, Minorities in the Law Committee, Member, 2019-2021

Equitas Health, Pro Bono Legal Services Volunteer, 2016-2019