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Kimberly C. Lau is Partner and Chair of the Title IX and College Discipline Practice, concentrating her practice on Title IX actions, gender discrimination, due process, first amendment and defamation matters.

Her experience includes state and federal practice, trials, arbitrations, mediations and appeals in commercial litigation, defamation actions and Title IX/college disciplinary matters. She has represented numerous students both male and female in nearly 300 proceedings addressing a broad spectrum of disciplinary matters, including, academic dishonesty, theft, harassment, sexual misconduct, and gender discrimination at major college and universities across the country. She regularly serves in a critical advisory role during student disciplinary proceedings.

The primary goal of her college disciplinary practice is to advocate for student rights during the disciplinary process in all types of disciplinary matters, whether the student is a complainant or the accused. Accused students seek Mrs. Lau’s assistance to help them develop an appropriate defense, and safeguard their due process rights before a life-altering decision is made. Meanwhile, complainants requiring support in navigating the disciplinary process look to Mrs. Lau’s professional advocacy and guidance to ensure that their rights are protected and respected.    

The core beliefs that guide her work are fairness, accountability and due process. Students seeking a resolution for their grievances on campus are entitled to a transparent and thorough process. At the same time, when male or female students go through a process in which they are presumed guilty until innocent, it runs contrary to due process, a stronghold of our American legal system. 

In 2022, Mrs. Lau obtained a unanimous $5.3M jury verdict for a former Clemson student who had been falsely accused of rape. She pursued defamation and conspiracy claims against three individuals who were responsible for the defamation of her client. This resulted in one of the largest verdicts awarded in the area for causes of action involving a private individual plaintiff.  During this litigation, Mrs. Lau also obtained a writ to the Supreme Court of South Carolina that ended the state’s longstanding practice of allowing special referees to decide discovery motions who were without jurisdiction to do so.

Mrs. Lau's affiliations include the New York County Lawyers Association, the New York Women's Bar Association, FACE (Families Advocating for Campus Equality), National Association of Professional Women, and Asian Women in Business.

She regularly teaches continuing legal education programs regarding Title IX enforcement and litigation, and the evolving landscape of Office for Civil Rights’ Title IX guidance. Mrs. Lau has authored numerous articles on issues affecting how colleges and universities handle sexual assault on campus, the federal privacy statutes impacting student education records, and tips from her extensive experience in handling nearly 300 cases in this area across the nation at both public and private education institutions.

Mrs. Lau’s expertise in Title IX and college disciplinary matters has been featured on national news outlets, such as, CNN, ABC's Nightline, and The Wall Street Journal, and she has been quoted in national news media, including Newsweek, Yahoo News, The New York Observer, and The Daily Beast.

Mrs. Lau is on the Board of Directors of FACE (Families Advocating for Campus Equality). FACE advocates for due process in college disciplinary tribunals. She regularly engages in lobbying efforts on the topic of our nation’s campus disciplinary systems in Washington D.C. with the goal of educating legislators on all perspectives, and effecting change.

AFFILIATIONS

• New York County Lawyers Association
• New York Women's Bar Association
• Families Advocating for Campus Equality (FACE) - Board of Advisors for FACE
• National Association of Professional Women
• Asian Women in Business
• Syracuse University Law Alumni Association - Board Member

PRESENTATIONS

• On November 17, 2023, Partner Kimberly C. Lau co-presented "The New, New Regulations and Legal Challenges" at a full-day CLE for Title IX lawyers in Washington D.C.
• Partner Kimberly C. Lau Guest Lectured at Syracuse University in Professor Kristin L. Walker “Advanced Litigation Skills - Motion Practice” class on October 17, 2023. 
• On ­­­September 11, 2023 Partner Kimberly C. Lau guest lectured in the “Title IX and Higher Education” course at the University of Michigan Law School.
• Partner Kimberly C. Lau and members of the firm’s Title IX and College Discipline Practice team presented, "How to Win at Trial" as part of a full-day CLE for Title IX lawyers in Washington D.C. held at DLA Piper on November 11, 2022.
• On September 15, 2022, Partner Kimberly C. Lau co-presented a live webinar to discuss how key proposed changes to the Title IX regulations may impact Title IX in both the classroom and the courtroom. 
• On July 26, 2022, Partner Kimberly C. Lau and members of the firm’s Title IX and College Discipline Practice team issued a statement on the Proposed Changes to Title IX.
• In June 2021, Title IX and College Discipline practice leader Kimberly Lau co-authored a written statement after testifying at the Title IX public hearing regarding potential revisions to 34 C.F.R. §106.
• On September 29, 2020, Kimberly C. Lau and members of the firm’s Title IX and College Disciplinary Matters practice presented a New York State Bar Association webinar titled, “A New Era For Title IX: An Overview Of The Department Of Education’s New Regulations.”
• Kimberly C. Lau participated in Syracuse University College of Law’s alumni weekend as part of a panel of alumnae hosted by the Women’s Law Student Association on September 24, 2020.
• On August 20, 2020, Kimberly C. Lau was a featured panelist on a virtual alumni panel for her alma mater, Syracuse University School of Law, where she spoke to students in the school’s JDi program.
• On August 3, 2020, Kimberly C. Lau presented a Lawline CLE on “The Future of Title IX Under the Department of Education’s New Regulations.”
• Kimberly C. Lau spoke at a New York County Lawyers' Association/Westchester County Bar Association CLE program on “What Schools Need to Know About The New Title IX Regulations” on July 30, 2020.
• Kimberly C. Lau co-presented a continuing legal education course, “The Proposed OCR Regulations: What’s New” at the Fifth Annual Symposium on Representing Accused Students on April 5, 2019 in Washington, D.C.
• Kimberly C. Lau co-presented a continuing legal education course, “Handling the School Investigative Process” at the Fourth Annual Symposium on Representing Accused Students on Friday, March 23, 2018 Washington, D.C.
• Kimberly C. Lau was a featured speaker at the 2nd Annual Title IX ExecuSummit in Connecticut on July 25, 2017.
• Kimberly C. Lau was a featured speaker in a panel discussion on “Raising the Bar: Creating a Legal Path,” sponsored by Asian Women in Business and held on April 19, 2017.
• Kimberly Lau served as a lead speaker for continuing legal education program, "Navigating Due Process and Title IX Issues in Campus Sexual Assault Procedures," sponsored by Lycurgus Group, LLC.

PODCASTS

Featured as a guest attorney on the WB Perspectives podcast series. View podcasts

AWARDS/HONORS

• Super Lawyers New York Metro (2022 - 2023)
• Super Lawyers New York Metro Rising Stars (2014 - 2021) 
• Super Lawyers Top Woman Lawyer in New York Metro
• Crain’s New York Business 2019 40 Under 40
• Crain’s New York Business 2020 Notable Women in Law