Significant Issues in Higher Education (Civil Rights Symposium 2025 session)

Mr. Baughman is a partner with Pepper Hamilton LLP, resident in the Philadelphia office. He has extensive experience litigating complex commercial disputes in jurisdictions throughout the United States. Mr. Baughman represents colleges, universities and other educational institutions in providing counseling, litigation and investigative services for the unique challenges that face institutions of higher learning. Mr. Baughman has defended numerous lawsuits brought against colleges and universities, in a number of different contexts. He has also represented institutions in investigations relating to complaints filed with the United States Department of Education. Mr. Baughman has provided extensive advice on compliance with the federal Clery Act, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and other federal and state laws that apply to educational institutions. He has provided counseling and advice on drafting and complying with policies and procedures dealing with Title IX of the amendments to the Higher Education Act and the Department of Education’s April 2011 “Dear Colleague Letter.” Mr. Baughman also has provided extensive advice on student conduct policies and proceedings and faculty disputes. From 1996 until 1997 he served as law clerk to the Hon. William H. Yohn, Jr., U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Before joining Pepper, Mr. Baughman was a partner at Dechert LLP. He received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Cornell University and his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Riley H. Ross III is a Partner at Mincey Fitzpatrick Ross, LLC. He has been practicing law since 2000 and has extensive experience in the areas of civil rights litigation, federal criminal law, white-collar criminal defense, Title IX litigation, employment discrimination and general civil litigation. Mr. Ross is the 2023 recipient of The Honorable William F. Hall Award, presented by The Barristers’ Association of Philadelphia, Inc. and the 2021 recipient of the Champion Award, presented by the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Civil and Equal Rights Committee to an individual who champions for civil rights for all Pennsylvanians. Mr. Ross has been named a “2009 Lawyer on The Fast Track,” a “2010 Pennsylvania Rising Star,” and a Pennsylvania SuperLawyer® each year since 2014. Mr. Ross serves as President of the Board of Directors of the ACLU – Pennsylvania. He is a Member of the Board of Governors for the Pennsylvania Bar Association and is an appointed member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Judicial Evaluation Commission. Mr. Ross also serves on the Board of Directors of No Longer Bound and Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers. Mr. Ross previously spent 10 years as a Board Member of the Pennsylvania Innocence Project, from its inception until 2019, and served as Secretary of the Board of Directors for the Defenders Association of Philadelphia. Mr. Ross was appointed by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania to serve as Chair of the Third Circuit Lawyers Advisory Committee and on the Pennsylvania Criminal Rules Committee. Mr. Ross is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania, Virginia and the District of Columbia. Mr. Ross received a B.S. in Psychology from Longwood College, a M.A. in Experimental Psychology from Western Kentucky University and a J.D. from the University of Virginia. After law school, Mr. Ross clerked for the Honorable James C. Cacheris, U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Ms. Conrad is a partner in the Commercial Litigation Department and Chair of the Higher Education Practice Group with White and Williams LLP, resident in Center Valley. She practices in the area of employment law and litigation with a focus on representing businesses, educational institutions and non-profit organizations in all aspects of workplace disputes. In addition to representing management in employee relations matters, Ms. Conrad’s practice includes the defense of federal and state discrimination claims, wrongful discharge claims, whistleblower claims, employment contract matters and restrictive covenant cases. Ms. Conrad’s practice includes representing colleges and universities in employment and education law matters with an emphasis on tenure related disputes and student discipline proceedings. Ms. Conrad also conducts investigations related to compliance, personnel and misconduct. Ms. Conrad received her B.A., magna cum laude, from Lycoming College and her M.Ed., summa cum laude, from The Pennsylvania State University and her J.D., cum laude, from Temple University School of Law. Ms. Conrad has been selected in a survey of her peers as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer and in The Best Lawyers of America. She has received the Athena Award from the Chamber of Commerce, and the Take the Lead Award from the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania and has been named by Lehigh Valley Business as a Woman of Influence. In May 2019, Ms. Conrad received the Anne X. Alpern Award from the PBA WIP and in 2022 and 2023, was named on the Lehigh Valley Business Power List in Law. Ms. Conrad is President of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and a Past President of the Lehigh County Bar Association. Ms. Conrad is a Past Woman Governor on the PBA Board of Governors and a Past Chair of the PBA DEI Team. She is a Past Chair of the PBA Labor and Employment Law Section and a Past Chair of the PBA Commission on Women in the Legal Profession. Ms. Conrad currently serves as a Vice-Chair of the PBA Federal Practice Committee and serves on the PBA Civil Litigation Section Council and Labor Employment Section Council. Ms. Conrad is a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys. Ms. Conrad is a certified Level 2 Civil Rights Investigator, and Title IX Hearing Officer.