Insights & News

Like most small businesses, government contractors are focused on keeping control over their expenses. And who doesn’t hate that one dreaded line item: legal? Well, who other than lawyers that is. Admittedly, this may be a counterintuitive point for a litigator to be raising. But the fact is, savvy companies wanting to secure government contracts realize they need to find creative ways to avoid the courthouse while increasing the chances of being a successful bidder. One such strategy allows competitors and collaborators to band together to pursue a contract by creating a “teaming agreement.” This allows multiple firms to pool […]

The law of “unintended consequences” – the actions of people and government have effects that are unanticipated – may well be on vividly harsh display shortly for Title IX. Among other things, the law requires schools, colleges and universities that receive federal funding to investigate claims of sexual harassment and assault against students. But depending on the outcome of a lawsuit currently on appeal in North Carolina, Title IX might end up being used to create a de facto “sex offenders” list at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill despite there being no trials or due process for […]

This is a terrifying yet very real case study in how easily universities and other schools use Title IX to abuse the Constitutional rights of students accused of sexual misconduct including denying due process, the right to confront and question an accuser, and the right against self-incrimination. When former Houston Texan football player Keith Murphy was a student at Michigan State University, a female student he knew accused him of sexually assaulting her. Under Title IX the school was required to investigate or risk losing federal funds. Operating (initially) without an attorney, Murphy voluntarily provided text message evidence of a […]