In the ever-changing landscape of higher education, steady and proactive legal advice is crucial. With a history of representing colleges and universities throughout Indiana and across the country, Church Church Hittle and Antrim (CCHA Law) is excited to announce an expanded Higher Education practice group that brings together experienced attorneys to serve institutions in a wide variety of legal matters.

CCHA's Experience with Higher Education Practice

“CCHA has such broad and varied experience advising higher education clients that it only made sense to formalize and launch a higher education practice group,” said James Nussbaum, CCHA Law partner, and leader of the new Higher Education practice group. “Because of our attorneys’ breadth of experience—ranging from student Title IX matters to complex business transactions to high stakes athletics investigations to faculty discrimination complaints and everything in between—we have one of the most robust higher education practices in the state and hope to become a ‘one-stop shop’ for the institutions we serve.”

CCHA Law’s Higher Education attorneys collaborate with higher education leadership and in-house counsel to conduct compliance assessments, including those related to Title IX, and provide strategic solutions. The team is particularly experienced in high-profile investigations and assisting executive leadership as they navigate difficult decisions central to the higher education mission.

Our team understands that agency charges and litigation are sometimes an unavoidable reality for today's higher education institutions. CCHA Law attorneys act as counsel for institutions in response to OCR and EEOC complaints and in defending litigation related to Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, ADA, and the First Amendment.

The Higher Education practice group is well-versed in business transactions and policy development for institutions, including corporate, real estate, intellectual property, general contracts, strategic partnerships, giving, and endowment matters.

Meet the Team Leadership

James Nussbaum

James focuses his practice on sports and higher education law and helps institutional clients manage difficult matters involving students, faculty, and staff members. In his time as in-house counsel to a university, James was the primary athletics attorney system-wide and provided legal advice on matters such as Title IX, name, image, and likeness, and potential major NCAA infractions cases. In addition to leading the Higher Education team, he is also involved in the Sports Law practice group.

James advises on and conducts high-profile investigations with an eye on political, public relations, and financial implications, including those related to Title IX, coach and student-athlete misconduct, and discrimination. James advises on a wide variety of student and employee matters including Title VII, FMLA, ADA, Title IX, Equal Pay Act, and Section 1983 and constitutional claims.

Kelleigh Fagan

Kelleigh is a partner in the firm’s Sports Law, Higher Education, and Business Services practice groups. In her sports practice, she represents clients in all aspects of NCAA investigations or any compliance issue that may arise on a college campus in proactive risk management for NCAA compliance matters. Kelleigh and the sports law team have successfully represented Division I and II institutions and involved individuals (coaches, administrators) in Level I/Level II infractions cases through the infractions process and in front of the NCAA’s Committee on Infraction and institutions and student-athletes in initial and continuing eligibility matters, transfer waivers, student-athlete reinstatement.

Kelleigh has also represented individuals and institutions in Title IX investigations, counseled schools, coaches and administrators in contract negotiations upon employment and severance agreements upon exiting a job, and negotiated sponsorship, apparel, and licensing agreements for institutions. Prior to joining CCHA, Kelleigh worked for the Enforcement Department at the NCAA.

Amy Steketee Fox

Amy devotes a significant portion of her practice to assisting schools, colleges, and universities navigate an increasingly complex legal environment in order to promote their institutional goals while ensuring compliance and mitigating exposure. Amy advises on a variety of legal matters including student disability issues, employment matters and labor negotiations, public access laws, FERPA and other records requirements, policy review, Title IX and other civil rights laws, and student discipline.

Amy defends educational institutions and employers in federal and state court proceedings and before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), and other administrative agencies. In addition to providing leadership to the Higher Education practice group, she is also involved with the K-12 School and Education Law team.

Julia Church Kozicki

Julia focuses her practice in supporting businesses and schools. She has served as general counsel for Sigma Kappa Sorority at the national headquarters in Carmel since 2002, prior to which she clerked for U.S. District Judge Allen Sharp. Julia is also part of the K-12 School and Education Law team and the Business Law practice group.

Julia was elected to the Noblesville Schools Board of School Trustees in May 2006 and re-elected in May 2010 and November 2014, with her 12 1/2 years the second longest tenure in board history. She was named one of 25 Noble Millers for the Noblesville Schools 150th Anniversary, served as the Region 5 director for the Indiana School Board Association, and continues to serve on the board of the Noblesville Schools Education Foundation.

Additional team members include:

Alex Pinegar Kevin Smith

Amy Matthews Libby Roberts

Brent Borg Sam Hughes

Jess Schnelker Steve Lutz

Jon Becker Todd Shumaker

Justin Hays

Services We Offer

The attorneys in the Higher Education practice group bring a range of experience that allows our team to proactively collaborate with higher education institutions and serve them in a variety of areas, including:

• Athletics and Investigations
• Business and Transactions
• Faculty Affairs/Employment/Benefits
• First Amendment Issues
• General Litigation (Including Insurance Defense and Appellate)
• Institutional Reviews
• Student Affairs (Including Disability Accommodations, Student Disciplinary Matters, and Bias Incidents)
• Title IX (Investigations, Advising on Complaints/Investigations/Hearings, Litigation, Gender Equity Athletics Assessments)

Contact the Higher Education Lawyers at CCHA Law

With our client-centered approach, our Higher Education attorneys partner with you to offer reasoned advice to avoid or mitigate future issues, find practical solutions when possible, and when necessary, litigate aggressively to defend the mission of your college or university. If your college or university is looking for an experienced team you can rely on, contact CCHA Law today.