Higher Ed’s New Legal Landscape | April 2025

In less than two months, President Trump’s administration has issued a score of executive orders, government cutbacks, and other moves that have rattled colleges and universities nationwide. Many of the steps have been challenged in court, leaving higher-education institutions scrambling to comply with the latest developments. 

On April 23, 11 am - 12:15 pm ET, join Ian Wilhelm, a Chronicle deputy managing editor, and legal experts to help you understand the landscape and how it’s shifting rapidly. 

The discussion, meant for faculty and administrators who aren’t immersed in compliance or the work of the campus general counsel, will provide:

• How Title VI, the federal law that ensures equal access to education regardless of a person's race, color, or national origin, and Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs, are changing and what that may mean for campus compliance
• A primer on the various federal orders and what legal weight they hold
• A look at the court cases that the higher-ed community should be keeping an eye on

Speakers:

Ann H. Franke, president, Wise Results LLC

Ann H. Franke is a national expert on higher education legal and risk issues. Through her firm Wise Results LLC, she provides consulting services to colleges, universities, and associations. She has advised campuses on organizational development, conducted training, and evaluated the academic support services for student-athletes in a Division I program. Ms. Franke began her career in higher education law in 1982 with the American Association of University Professors. In 1997, Ms. Franke joined United Educators Insurance. She led UE's risk management department, served on the senior management team, and rose to the post of vice president for national issues and chief knowledge officer.

Peter F. Lake, senior higher education attorney, Steptoe Johnson PLLC

Lake is a nationally recognized professional and scholar on a variety of higher education topics, including Title IX. He is a professor of law, Charles A. Dana chair, and director of the Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law and Policy at Stetson University College of Law. At Steptoe & Johnson, Lake is a member of the Steptoe & Johnson Higher Education Team.

Scott Schneider, founder, Schneider Education & Employment Law

Scott Schneider has advised companies and educational institutions nationwide on a variety of complex legal issues with a focus on particularly sensitive matters like institutional response to sexual misconduct. Prior to founding Schneider Education & Employment Law, he served as in-house counsel for Tulane University.

Moderator:

Ian Wilhelm, deputy managing editor, The Chronicle of Higher Education

Ian Wilhelm is a deputy managing editor for The Chronicle of Higher Education. Wilhelm oversees Chronicle Intelligence, a division of the newsroom. Previously at The Chronicle, he helped manage a team of reporters focused on enterprise and feature stories. He also served as the international editor and as a senior writer for The Chronicle of Philanthropy, the newspaper for the nonprofit world.

In addition to joining the session, registrants will be able to ask questions prior to the webinar, receive Chronicle materials related to the topics, and get access to a special followup Q&A.  

This paid webinar is part of our series Navigating Uncertainty Under Trump. Learn more about this series and register for our free webinars featuring insights from Rick Seltzer and Sarah Brown here.

Zoom links and event access instructions will be sent separately, directly from Zoom and from workshops@cs.chronicle.com. Please add workshops@chronicle.com and workshops@cs.chronicle.com to your approved senders to ensure that communications arrive directly to your inbox.