Twelfth Annual Symposium: Representing Accused Students
About this Event
Fifteen years after the 2011 Dear Colleague Letter transformed campus disciplinary proceedings, attorneys representing accused students continue to face a complex and evolving practice area. While the regulatory framework has become more settled, the most important questions are no longer simply what the rules require—they are how investigations are conducted, how decisions are made, and how effective advocates can influence outcomes.
This Symposium brings together leading attorneys representing students and institutions in disciplinary proceedings, appeals, and related litigation, including trial. Attendees will hear from practitioners who have achieved successful results at every stage of the process, sharing practical strategies for building the record, advocating during investigations and hearings, preserving issues for appeal, and positioning cases for successful litigation when necessary.
A highlight of this year's program is the opportunity to hear directly from professionals who regularly serve colleges and universities as investigators and decision-makers. Their perspectives will provide a rare look inside the investigative and adjudicative process, including how evidence is evaluated, credibility determinations are made, and difficult cases are resolved.
The Symposium will also feature open discussion of effective advocacy techniques, emerging challenges, common pitfalls, and lessons learned from years of representing students in these high-stakes matters. Whether you are new to this area of practice or a seasoned practitioner, the program is designed to provide practical insight, candid discussion, and valuable opportunities to learn from colleagues who continue to shape this field.
Fifteen years later, the key question is no longer what the rules are. The question is how investigations are conducted, how decisions are made, and what effective advocates can do to achieve good outcomes both in internal proceedings and through litigation
Sponsoring Law Firms:
Allen Harris Law
Clark Hill
Dillon PLLC
DLA Piper
Engel & Martin, LLC
Offit Kurman
Rosenberg & Ball Co., LPA
AGENDA
8:00 – 8:30 Registration, Breakfast, Welcome
Charley Wayne
8:30 – 10:30 Caselaw Update
KC Johnson
10:30 – 10:45 Break
10:45 – 12:00 Independent Hearing Officers/Investigators
Maureen Holland and Rebecca Veidlinger
12:00 – 1:30 Lunch and Lunch Panel Q&A
Josh Engel, Patricia Hamill, Eric Long
1:30 – 2:30 Internal Appeals and Other Helpful War Stories – “Breaking the Rules and It Worked!”
Justin Dillon, Kimberly Lau
2:30 – 3:30 Damages After Cummins
Emilia Beskind, Eric Rosenberg, and Hanna Stotland
3:30 – 3:45 Break
3:45 – 4:30 Rice Case Presentation
Susan Hutchinson
4:45 -- 5:00 Concluding Thoughts
PRE-SYMPOSIUM DINNER
A casual dinner will be held on Wednesday, September 16, 2026. This is an opportunity to meet other attorneys who work on behalf of accused students in an informal setting.
PLEASE NOTE: DINNER INVITATIONS WILL BE LIMITED TO TWO PERSONS FROM EACH LAW FIRM
Dinner is sponsored by
Dillon PLLC
Clark Hill
Allen Harris Law
Details to be provided. Space is limited, please indicate interest at the time you register for the symposium.
CLE INFORMATION
CLE Credits will be requested from appropriate states. In order to receive CLE Credits you MUST register for CLE credits AND email the Symposium Organizers ([email protected]) with your request at least fourteen days in advance of the Seminar.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00 to USD 454.39
