Employee Agreement

[sam99]

I have a fairly simple problem which I suspect is common to
many people who work in the computer industry these days. I
signed an employment agreement committing myself to 2 years
at a software training firm in DC and now, for
entirely personal reasons, wish to leave after 1 year.
The job is part-time and there is nothing in the contract
indicating any sort of penalties if I leave before 2 years
are up. There is just a general statement saying that I
commit myself to the firm for 18 months. There is also a
four week notice clause, which I plan to observe. Most of
the rest of the contract deals with the typical "you can't
work for one of our competitors" type issues.

Is there any way that my employer could realistically punish
me for leaving before the 18 months are up? I can't really
see how he could but he keeps making vaguely threatening
remarks whenever I bring the subject up (probably just to
intimidate me--and I guess it's working!). Could he, for
example, legally with-hold my paycheck or charge me for some
kind of "training fee" even though none of that is in the
employment agreement? And just on a technical point: is
there a difference between an employment "contract" and an
employment "agreement"?

Cheers,