The Title IX Evolution: Navigating the Expanded Terrain

Bindu Jayne has worked for over fifteen years in the civil rights, compliance, and equity space in higher education at such institutions as Swarthmore College, the University of Delaware, Appalachian State University, and Rowan University.  At each institution she oversaw broad portfolios and served as the Title IX Coordinator. Ms. Jayne is the founding partner of Sage Education Consulting, LLC, which provides civil rights-related investigation, adjudication, consulting, and policy drafting services to higher education clients. Prior to her work in higher education, Ms. Jayne began her legal career as an associate in the Philadelphia office of a large international law firm. Ms. Jayne received a B.A. in government from Cornell University, magna cum laude, and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.  

Patty Petrowski is the University of Michigan’s Associate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel.  She joined the U-M from a large law firm in Chicago, Illinois, where she worked from 2000-2014.  As a partner in the firm’s Complex Litigation Group, she litigated, arbitrated, and tried cases involving a variety of subject matters, with significant experience representing major research universities and academic medical centers.  Subject matters litigated include breach of contract, federal and state whistleblower statutes, contested trust and estate claims, insurance and reinsurance disputes, employment statutes, fraudulent transfer, religious discrimination, and securities fraud.  In addition, Patty served as the co-chairperson of legal recruiting for the firm’s Chicago office and was a member of the firm’s Committee for the Retention and Promotion of Women. 

In 2010, Patty was one of thirty-five demonstrated leaders competitively selected to participate in Leadership Greater Chicago, a year-long leadership development and networking program. 

Patty received a J.D. degree from the University of Michigan Law School.  She received a bachelor’s degree with High Honors in Political Economy from Michigan State University and was elected Phi Beta Kappa. 

Audrey Anderson is Counsel at Bass, Berry & Sims and focuses her practice on representing colleges, universities and educational institutions. Drawing on her over 30 years of experience gained as outside litigation counsel, government counsel, and as the general counsel for a major research university, Audrey brings judgment, creativity and practicality to solving her client’s problems across a range of issues arising from the activities of students, faculty and others in learning, living, teaching, researching and working on a college campus. Whether an issue arises under the First Amendment or Title IX, occurs in the lab, the board room or the athletics department, involves counseling, negotiation, or litigation, Audrey helps her clients find practical ways forward. 

Her practice involves advising institutions on matters related to Title IX and other investigations; policy reviews and revisions; employment and labor issues, including tenure cases; statutory and regulatory compliance; admissions programs; OCR complaints; and litigation of all types. Audrey serves as a Title IX hearing officer and appellate officer for various universities and works objectively to evaluate evidence and conduct necessary hearings with involved parties. In addition and as needed, Audrey has stepped in to serve as interim general counsel at educational institutions while a search is conducted for a permanent replacement. 

Prior to joining Bass, Berry & Sims, Audrey served as Vice Chancellor, General Counsel and University Secretary for Vanderbilt University. In this role, she was responsible for all legal advice provided to the university, including its medical center. Audrey also served in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) beginning in 2009, and was Deputy General Counsel from September 2011 until she left the department in March 2013. Her duties there included advising on significant litigation and legislative matters across the department, and working with the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 

Prior to her term at DHS, Audrey was a partner in the education and litigation practice groups at Hogan & Hartson (now Hogan Lovells), where her practice focused on representing and advising public school districts in litigation and other matters, and representing clients in complex civil litigation and appellate litigation of all types. Audrey began her career serving as a law clerk for the Honorable Harold H. Greene of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and for the Chief Justice of the United States, William H. Rehnquist. 

Audrey currently serves as an adjunct faculty member at Vanderbilt Law School teaching higher education law and co-teaching a seminar on the Supreme Court. She is frequently called upon by the media to share her insights on changing laws and new rulings relevant to the higher education industry.