Mercedes Colwin, managing partner of Gordon & Rees’s New York office, will serve as co-chair of the Inaugural Title IX ExecuSummit Conference to be held on July 26-27, 2016 at the Mohegan Sun Hotel, Resort & Convention Center in Uncasville, CT. She is joined by co-chair Jennifer R. Weinstein, the Regional EPL Claims Manager at Starr Adjustment Services.
This comprehensive day and a half conference is designed for Title IX focused professionals and will feature distinguished presenters that will provide information essential to educators, risk managers, as well as insurance industry professionals who underwrite and handle claims for educational institutions.
Legal actions against educational institutions related to sexual misconduct are at an all time high with lawsuits spanning every topic from Title IX to due process, free speech and negligence. Far too often the country is taken by a media frenzy involving some form of college campus sexual misconduct. Any behavior that disrupts a student’s access to an educational opportunity or benefit constitutes a violation of Title IX. The Washington Post reported on June 7, 2016, that nearly 100 colleges and universities had at least 10 reports of sexual violence and rape on their main campuses in 2014, according to federal campus safety data. With statistics like this, how does a school balance the rights of the accuser and the accused in order to protect the rights of the students and avoid liability? This program seeks to highlight these issues and enlighten those in the education community on how to mitigate risk to students as well as damage to the institution.
The Title IX ExecuSummit will provide attendees with insider tips and industry insight on the latest developments and trends tips essential for educational institutions to combat Title IX claims. Workshops run the gambit from building a Title IX team and employing proper reporting and investigation practices to defending high profile litigations. The program will educate on topics such as how to respond to such reports, how to prevent these reports from happening, and how to mitigate the damage perceived by the public. This inaugural conference will provide attendees the strategic intelligence needed to help prevent your institution from becoming the nation’s next headline.
On Day 1 of the conference, Colwin will present "How to Litigate a High Profile Title IX Case and Harness the Jury of Public Opinion.”
Also on July 26, associate Benjamin Levine will join a panel to present "Innocent until Proven Guilty: Managing the Risk of Liability to Students Disciplined for Sexual Assault."
On July 27, senior counsel Misty Marris will present "How to Manage the Criminal Investigation of a Title IX Complaint and Avoid Liability - Lessons Learned from the Duke Lacrosse Case."
To register, please click here. You may view the full conference brochure here.
Colwin is a leading U.S. trial lawyer with 48 cases successfully tried to verdict. She is a legal analyst on the Fox News Network, where she regularly appears on legal issues involving high-profile matters. Colwin represents corporate executives and Fortune 500 clients who rely on her and her team of attorneys and experts to handle high-stakes legal matters. Colwin has received numerous national recognitions, including Notre Dame Law School’s prestigious Graciela Olivarez Award, and she was named by Forbes Business American Airlines as one of the six most influential women in America. Ms. Colwin was also honored as one of the "Nation’s Most Powerful Employment Attorneys" in the Human Resource Executive Magazine.
Marris is a litigation attorney who practices primarily in employment law and professional liability. Marris’ vast courtroom experience along with her knowledge of various areas of law allows her to provide a strong defense to all of her clients. In addition, Marris also serves as an independent legal analyst on the Fox News Network, Fox Business Network, CNN and HLN, discussing legal issues relating to high profile cases.
Levine focuses his practice primarily on complex litigation in the areas of sports, entertainment, employment, professional liability, and commercial law. Levine zealously advocates on behalf of a wide range of clients including professional athletes, NCAA Athletes, coaches, sports agents, employers, professionals, municipalities, and businesses. Levine has experience involving some of the most high profile sports law matters of the recent past including successfully representing Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston in his Title IX case involving Florida State University.