Adrienne Levy

Notable Work

• Appellate Litigation – Title IX. In a first-of-its kind decision, successfully overturned the district court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of the defendant university, proving sufficient evidence of gender bias to proceed to trial and establishing the Tenth Circuit standard for Title IX claims on summary judgment. 
• Appellate Litigation – Breach of Contract. Successfully overturned the district court’s dismissal of the student-plaintiff’s complaint against his university, alleging wrongful conduct and failure to follow established procedures in the school disciplinary process. The Eleventh Circuit reinstated the case.
• Litigation – Sex Trafficking. In a groundbreaking decision, successfully overcame a university’s motion to dismiss sex trafficking and forced labor claims brought by a former cheerleader, with the district court finding plausible allegations that the university coerced cheerleaders to perform and accept sex acts in order to boost donations/fundraising. 
• Litigation – Pseudonymous Plaintiffs. Successfully achieved numerous orders granting clients pseudonym status to proceed in state and federal courts in cases involving sexual misconduct proceedings, allowing clients to vindicate their rights while still protecting their privacy, safety, and reputation. 
• Litigation – Title IX, Common-Law Due Process, Breach of Contract.  Representing a student-plaintiff dismissed from a private religious university, successfully overcame university’s motion for summary judgment, including an asserted First Amendment immunity claim, with the district court confirming undisputed evidence of gender bias, unfair process, and breach of contract.
• Litigation – Title IX, Breach of Contract. Successfully overcame multiple motions to dismiss student-plaintiff’s Title IX and breach of contract claims against Princeton University, including a successful motion for reconsideration to reinstate claims that had initially been dismissed.
  
• Litigation – Title IX, Breach of Contract. Successfully overcame motion to dismiss student-plaintiff’s Title IX and breach of contract claims against University and third-party investigator.
  
• Litigation – Title IX, Breach of Contract, Hazing. After filing federal complaint on behalf of university student who was hazed and sexually assaulted at student organization initiation, successfully negotiated a favorable settlement.
  
• Litigation – Student Discipline (K-12). Successfully overcame motion to dismiss student-plaintiff’s breach of contract, negligence, and improper discipline claims against K-12 private school in NJ. 
  
• Litigation – TRO/Student Discipline. Representing nursing students who were summarily suspended for an alleged COVID-19 policy violation, effectively petitioned the court for an emergency temporary restraining order directing the school to reinstate the students while the case was pending. After achieving injunctive relief, a favorable settlement was reached.
  
• Litigation – Defamation, RICO. Successfully moved to dismiss defamation and RICO case filed against client in New York State court, achieving a dismissal with prejudice. 
  
• Litigation – Defamation. Successfully overcame motion to dismiss plaintiff’s defamation action in New York State court.
  
• Litigation – Promissory Note. Successfully achieved summary adjudication to enforce promissory note in New York State court.
• Administrative Proceedings – Sexual Misconduct. Representing a female university student who was both a complainant and a respondent in a sexual misconduct proceeding, achieved a win on both claims for student: finding her not responsible for any violations, while procuring a finding of responsibility against her abuser, separating him from university.
• Administrative Proceedings – Sexual Misconduct. Representing a male undergraduate accused of sexual assault during his first semester of college, achieved a favorable outcome of “not responsible.”
• Administrative Proceedings – Sexual Misconduct. Representing a female undergraduate student who was propositioned by a professor for sex in exchange for a better grade, ensured that student was given proper protective accommodations and achieved a favorable finding substantiating her claims, resulting in professor being separated from the college.
• Administrative Proceedings – Sexual Misconduct. Representing a professor accused of off-campus sexual assault by fellow professor, achieved a favorable outcome of “not responsible.”
• Administrative Proceedings – Sexual Misconduct. Representing a student wrongfully found responsible for sexual assault, successfully achieved a reversal of original finding.
• Administrative Proceedings – Stalking. Representing an undergraduate student falsely accused of stalking by an ex-boyfriend, achieved a favorable outcome of “not responsible.”
• Administrative Proceedings – Academic Misconduct. Representing a student accused of academic dishonesty violations that would have severely hindered student’s ability to gain admission to medical school, achieved a favorable outcome of “not responsible.”
• Administrative Proceedings – Hazing, Discrimination. Representing members of a university athletic team who were subjected to false discrimination claims by other team members after they refused to participate in hazing activities, achieved a favorable outcome of “not responsible” on all charges.

Education & Admissions

Admissions

• New York
• New Jersey
• U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
• U.S. District Court, Western District of New York
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York
• U.S. Court of Appeals for Second Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals for Third Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals for Sixth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals for Tenth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals for Eleventh Circuit

Education

• Juris Doctor, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Magna cum laude; Order of the Coif; Cardozo Law Review.
• Bachelor of Arts, SUNY Binghamton. Summa cum laude; Golden Key National Honor Society.

Media

• 11th Circ. Reopens Emory Suit Over Sex Assault Hearing
• 10th Circuit Reinstates Lawsuit Alleging Anti-Male Bias In DU Sex Assault Investigation
• Title IX, First Amendment, Religious Universities, and Alleged Blackmail
• ‘We’re Just Horrified’: Why a Springsteen Sideman Took On Nursing Homes
• Cheerleader Sues Northwestern University, Says She Was Groped And Harassed By Drunken Fans And That Officials Tried To ‘Cover Up’ Her Complaints
• Princeton Punished Him After He Said A Female Sexually Assaulted Him. A Judge Refused To Toss His Suit.

Lectures

Guest Speaker, Seventh Annual Symposium on Representing Students Accused of Sexual Misconduct, Oct. 8, 2021

Practice Areas

• Title IX & Conduct Violations
• Business, Partnership & Employment Litigation
• Internal Investigations
• Defamation