Educational institutions are unique. Each school operates as a microcosm with many different factions – including students, professors, administrators, and other employees – and an incredible variety of aspects to campus life, with academics, research, sports, housing, and student organizations to name just a few. With such wide-ranging breadth in this highly regulated industry, educational institutions can face significant challenges on numerous fronts when an issue arises necessitating an internal investigation or in responding to a government investigation.
McGuireWoods is a nationally recognized leader in representing and serving as a trusted advisor to educational institutions, including public, private, and proprietary colleges and universities; K-12 schools; charter schools; school boards; academic medical centers; foundations and endowments. From sexual assault allegations to Title IX litigation to inquiries into compliance with state and federal regulations, McGuireWoods has seen educational institutions through their most trying moments.
We have deep experience conducting internal reviews and investigations, audits, and responses to government inquiries on behalf of educational institutions. We routinely handle government investigations concerning a wide range of conduct by various federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights and Federal Student Aid, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, and the U.S. Department of Justice.
The Educational Investigations Team at McGuireWoods is part of an elite Government Investigations and White Collar Litigation Department that has been recognized as a Law360 Practice Group of the Year. Our senior team is comprised of a deep bench of lawyers with decades of experience with investigations, including:
McGuireWoods’ Educational Investigations Team helps our clients navigate the challenging investigations process. Whether the issue is one raised by a student privately to an administrator or a highly publicized government investigation, we gauge the potential legal and reputational consequences, conduct a thorough investigation, and counsel clients on how to resolve the issue positively while avoiding damaging missteps. Our team also helps clients limit the collateral consequences by developing strategies to reduce and address private litigation and potential criminal exposure. Furthering our expertise and in close collaboration with McGuireWoods’ Strategic Risk and Crisis Management Group, our team also manages ancillary issues associated with educational investigations, including board of trustee relations, media inquiries, and other crisis management matters.
Download a PDF copy of our industry brochure.