LAWYERS NEW TO HIGHER EDUCATION

SCHEDULE

This is a self-study course that is intended to be paced in accordance with your personal schedule.  Consult the self-study syllabus to determine a plan that works for your schedule.

Introduction and Practical Advice for New Campus Counsel

  • Welcome and brief overview of NACUA 
  • Brief overview of legal issues unique to higher education
  • Practical advice on transitioning to the practice of higher education law

Meet the Faculty

  • Faculty tenure and employment relationships
  • Faculty duties, performance management and discipline
  • Academic Freedom/ First Amendment
  • Practical issues and problem solving

The FUNdamentals of FUNdamental FERPA

  • An overview of the FERPA framework and its key definitions
  • The principal disclosure exceptions
  • The often forgotten “inspect and review” and “seek amendment” rights
  • Saving the best for last: FERPA’s enforcement mechanism

Introduction to Sexual Misconduct Issues: Title IX, Title VII, and the Courts

  • Title IX Regulations: Status and Implications for Practice 
  • The Intersection of the Clery Regulations, VAWA, Title IX, and Title VII
  • Title IX in the Courts: Deliberate Indifference, Erroneous Outcome, and Selective Enforcement
  • Practical advice for campus counsel in adopting, revising, and administering sexual misconduct policies on campus

Federal Antidiscrimination Law

  • Encountering and Addressing Anti-Discrimination Matters in Higher Education (e.g., Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, ADA)
  • Race, Color, Religion & National
  • Origin - Discrimination and Harassment
  • Sex Discrimination and Related Legal Issues
  • Retaliation
  • Free Speech, Diversity, and Inclusion

Wheels Up! – Navigating University International Programs

  • Understand different frameworks for evaluating international initiatives
  • Review select U.S. and foreign law compliance issues and discuss recent trends and hot topics – e.g., international employment; foreign taxation; export controls; foreign influence; international student recruitment; online and remote learning; global data privacy; and international student health and safety concerns.
  • Share unique contract terms, tips, and strategies to negotiate cross-border contracts

Meet the Regulators 

  • Introduction to federal, state, and non-governmental regulators
  • Key examples of regulatory oversight, including practical advice to navigate compliance audits, program reviews, and other regulatory enforcement activities
  • Building a comprehensive compliance program that advances institutional mission and strategic priorities 

Research Compliance, Intellectual Property, and Technology Transfer

  • Federally sponsored university research: the regulatory regime
  • Compliance: common financial, administrative, and scientific/bioethics compliance issues in research
  • Intellectual property: ownership and use of employee, student and third party IP
  • Tech transfer: considerations for innovation and commercialization

College Athletics

  • NCAA structure and enforcement
  • Athletics contracts
  • Title IX and intercollegiate athletics
  • Wages, benefits, and the use of name, image, and likeness
  • Trending topics

Contract Administration

  • Unique issues related to contract administration on college and university campuses
  • The role of counsel in contract administration
  • Who is entering into contracts at your university?  Signature authority and policies related to contract administration
  • Key contractual provisions
  • Practical take-aways related to contract review

Student Discipline and the Role of Legal Counsel

  • Key foundational concepts and legal obligations: due process and contractual obligations, public versus private colleges and universities
  • Academic versus conduct problems, graduate and professional programs, disability and Title IX cases
  • Litigation lessons for policy development and practice
  • The many changing dynamics on campus and student life trends - what these mean for campus lawyers

Student Disability Law Issues – Microsession

  • Academic accommodation issues in higher education context
  • Emotional support animal issues
  • Threat to self and/or threat to others issues
  • Leave and withdrawal issues
  • Web accessibility issues

Quickly and Clearly Clery: Introduction to the Campus Crime Reporting Law – Microsession

  • Introduction to the Clery Act, including the history, developments along the way, enforcement, and more.
  • Discussion of the main components of Clery compliance, including reporting and disclosure of crime statistics in the ASR, the crime log, timely warnings and emergency notifications, and the fire log.
  • Exploration of the Clery Handbook—What is it, how is it used in practice, and does it contain the answer to my question?
  • Overview of enforcement actions, program reviews, and fines.

An Introduction to Higher Education Counsel’s Office: Ethical Issues

  • General principles of ethics for college and university attorneys
  • Representing an institutional client – ethical issues and practical strategies
  • Attorney-client privilege – elements, exceptions, and waivers
  • Special challenges taking on non-legal roles


LIVE CLASSES

Meet the Experts #1  

  • Monday, October 23, 2023, 1:00-2:00 PM

Networking Circle

  • Monday, November 6, 2023, 1:00-2:00 PM 

Meet the Experts #2 

  • Wednesday, November 29, 2023, 1:00-2:00 PM

Capstone Course

  • Tuesday, December 12, 2023, 2:00-3:15 PM