Julia concentrates her practice in the area of higher education including representing higher education institutions on all manner of litigation matters. She also counsels and represents clients on many issues relating to the workplace.
Julia’s experience in higher education reaches back to her early career as an associate at a preeminent Boston law firm, where she assisted in defending a large university against wrongful death and other tort claims brought by parents of a student who died of an apparent suicide in her dorm room. Since that time, Julia has expanded her higher education practice to include counseling her clients on a variety of student affairs and other day-to-day operational issues. Julia also spends a great deal of time working closely with higher education clients to advise on compliance with Title IX, Article 129-B (Enough is Enough), and Clery Act obligations, including representing clients in connection with Title IX investigations commenced by the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Julia is fully trained as a civil rights investigator and Title IX Coordinator, and regularly conducts investigations of alleged sexual harassment and sexual misconduct, including sexual assault.
Julia is committed to conducting thorough, impartial, and compassionate investigations. Her investigations commence with analysis of the allegations to develop an investigation plan in consultation with the Title IX Coordinator and, if applicable, a co-investigator. She prepares interview summaries and investigative reports in keeping with each institution’s format and style. Julia advises all individuals with whom she meets about available resources and supports, the institution’s policy against retaliation, and makes connections with and draws upon the institution’s support resources as called for in each case.
Julia identifies as a member of the LGBTQ community and has sustained significant community involvement around LGBTQ issues and awareness, which imbues her investigation skills with a thorough understanding of and innate facility with matters involving LGBTQ students and issues.
Julia helps institutions review and revise their policies to ensure compliance with the most up-to-date federal and state guidance related to Title IX/sexual misconduct on campus. She trains administrators, faculty, staff, and campus safety departments on institutional policy and conducting trauma-informed sexual misconduct investigations, hearings and appeals. Julia closely analyzes federal and state guidance regarding Title IX and Enough is Enough and interacts with issuing authorities regarding published guidance.
Labor and Employment
Julia counsels and represents clients on a number of issues relating to the workplace, including:
- Employment hiring, discipline, and termination practices
- Non-competition agreements
- Subpoenas for employment records
- Wage and hour issues and audits
- Ensuring compliance with federal and state labor and employment laws
- Defense of discrimination and harassment charges, including representation before the New York State Division of Human Rights and other federal, state, and local agencies
Professional & Civic Affiliations
- Co-chair, Diversity Committee, Harter Secrest & Emery LLP
- Member, Hiring Committee, Harter Secrest & Emery LLP
- Board Member, Young Women’s College Preparatory Charter School of Rochester
- Member, 2018 Western NY Human Rights Campaign Dinner Committee
- Former Member and Co-Chair of the LGBT Committee, Monroe County Bar Association, 2014-2016
- Empire State Pride Agenda Spring Dinner Committee; Co-Chair, 2010-2015; Vice Chair, 2012
- Steering Committee Member, Women's Leadership Council, United Way of Greater Rochester, 2013-2015
Honors & Awards
- Recipient, 2017 Annette Itkin Volunteer of the Year Award, Willow Domestic Violence Center
- Recipient, “Top Women in Law” Award, The Daily Record, 2017
- Recipient, “Up and Coming Attorneys” Award, The Daily Record, 2011
Presentations
- Co-Presenter, “An Employee Walks into Your Office to Make a Complaint: Investigation Tips and Techniques,” Harter Secrest & Emery’s Labor and Employment Law Webinar Series, February 11, 2020
- Co-Presenter, “Title IX, Clery, and Enough is Enough: Best Practices and Legal Compliance,” St. John Fisher College, August 13, 2019
- Co-Presenter, “An Employee Walks into Your Office to Make a Complaint: Investigation Tips and Techniques,” Harter Secrest & Emery’s Labor and Employment Law Conference, April 30, 2019
- Co-Moderator, “Tax Reform’s Impact on Higher Education,” Harter Secrest & Emery’s Campus Conversations Webinar Series, March 21, 2019
- Co-Moderator, “Hot Topics in US Intellectual Property Law for Institutions of Higher Education,” Harter Secrest & Emery’s Campus Conversations Webinar Series, January 17, 2019
- Co-Moderator, “The Justice Department: Friend of the Court, Foe of the University?,” Harter Secrest & Emery’s Campus Conversations Webinar Series, November 14, 2018
- Presenter, "Conducting Thorough, Impartial, and Effective Sexual Harassment Investigations," Harter Secrest & Emery Labor and Employment Law Conference, April 26, 2018
- Co-Presenter, "Sexual Harassment Complaints: What Can HR Learn from the Student Side?" College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA) Spring Conference, April 9, 2018
- Co-Presenter, "Sexual Misconduct Investigations and Resolution: Legal and Best Practice Standards" series, Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse, NY, February 27, March 6, and May 8, 2018
- Presenter, "The Headlines Continue: The Epidemic of High Profile Sexual Harassment Claims," Harter Secrest & Emery, November 3, 2017
- Organizer, Presenter and Co-Presenter, Harter Secrest & Emery’s Higher Education Conference "Title IX and Enough and Enough: A Mandate and a Microscope—Preparing You For Next Year," August 3, 2017
- Co-Presenter, "Title IX’s Impact on College Campuses," Eyes on the Future Radio Show, Greater Rochester Enterprise, July 2017
- Presenter, "Title IX: Training, Information Sharing, and Discussion," Rochester Institute of Technology, April 11, 2017
- Presenter, "New York State’s Dual Anti-Discrimination Protections for Transgender Workers," Harter Secrest & Emery’s Labor and Employment Law Conference, April 5, 2017
- Co-Presenter, "Clery and VAWA—Title VII vs. Title IX: The Employment Side of Combatting Sexual Assault on College Campuses," Eastern Association of College and University Business Officers (EACUBO) 2016 Annual Meeting, October 16-19, 2016
- Co-Presenter, "Title VII or Title IX: What’s the Difference and Why Does it Matter?" College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA) Annual Conference and Expo, September 25-27, 2016
- Organizer, Presenter and Co-Presenter, Harter Secrest & Emery’s "Higher Education Institute: Avoiding Compliance Pitfalls Across Your Campus—From Admissions to the Title IX Office to the Board Room," August 2, 2016. Presentations and training sessions included:
- Conducting Trauma-Informed and Legally-Compliant Investigations, Hearings, and Appeals
- Writing Investigative Reports and Outcome Letters
- Student and Employee Training Requirements under Title IX, Clery/VAWA, and New York’s “Enough is Enough”
- Title VII vs. Title IX/Clery/VAWA: What’s the Difference and Why Does It Matter?
- Co-Presenter, "Title IX Case Update," University of Rochester, May 2016
- Co-Presenter, "Enough is Enough Update," Title IX Workshop, LeMoyne College, March 3, 2016
- Co-Presenter, "Trauma-Informed Title IX Investigations: Conducting Compassionate and Effective Investigations," Nazareth College, August 4, 2015
- Guest Lecturer, "Legal Issues in Higher Education," Presentation to Nazareth College Masters of Higher Education Student Affairs Administration program students, March 5, 2015, October 1, 2015 and September 22, 2016
- Co-Presenter, "From Trusting Our Judgment to Questioning Our Commitment: The Evolution of OCR's Title IX Enforcement," Higher Education Roundtable hosted by Hobart and William Smith Colleges, May 2014
- Panelist, "Strategies for Work-Life Integration," New York Bankers Association Women in Banking Conference, October 30, 2013
- Co-Presenter, "Litigation Update," Higher Education Roundtable hosted by Hobart and William Smith Colleges, June 2011
Admissions
- Massachusetts
- New York
Education
- Northeastern University School of Law, J.D.
- Wellesley College, B.A., cum laude