Janelle L. Winston is an attorney with the National Football League, representing the NFL and its thirty-two Member Clubs across the country in labor-management disputes involving compensation and salary, player discipline, electronic medical records, and workers’ compensation. Her practice covers negotiation, arbitration, litigation and settlement.

Prior to joining the NFL, Janelle represented the MTA New York City Transit Authority in a wide range of labor-management disputes at arbitration, often involving complex contract and disciplinary grievances. While at the MTA, Janelle also served as a mentor and supervisor to junior attorneys on case presentation and preparation of legal briefs.

Janelle began her legal career as an Assistant District Attorney with the Bronx District Attorney’s Office. In this position, Janelle appeared regularly in court and participated in all phases of litigation including arraignments, grand jury practice, pretrial hearings, and bench and jury trials.  Her service as an ADA provided her with invaluable experience that allowed her to develop and hone her courtroom, negotiation and litigation skills. During her tenure as an ADA in the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Bureau, Janelle prosecuted some of the most sensitive and difficult cases in the borough from inception to trial.

Janelle has also served as an adjunct professor at Fordham Law school since 2007, where she has been teaching Fundamental Lawyering Skills. Janelle is also a proud member of Fordham’s Sports Law Forum Board of Advisors.

Janelle attended Tennessee State University where she studied accounting, followed by Fordham Law School. In August of 2020, Janelle established the JL Winston Foundation, a personal charity created to foster and promote the scholastic achievement, educational excellence, social development and intellectual advancement of deserving students who attend historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).