Jessica Galanos is a former university administrator and litigator with experience in the areas of sexual misconduct, hazing, civil rights, student conduct, employment law, accreditation, governance, and regulatory compliance. She regularly advises higher education clients on a variety of legal issues under Title IX, Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Collin’s Law, the Clery Act, and various other federal and state regulations, drawing from her own experience working at a large public university and representing universities in litigation.

Jessica is a trained and experienced civil rights and Title IX investigator and hearing officer. Clients routinely seek Jessica’s assistance for complex matters because of her attention to detail and sensitive approach to interviews and hearings. Jessica also reviews university policies, crafts thoughtful and compliant procedures, and advises higher education clients on how to avoid and navigate complex litigation matters. Jessica also has extensive experience training university administrators on how to address sexual misconduct and hazing matters.

Prior to joining Bricker Graydon, Jessica served as an Assistant Director and Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Illinois State University. Jessica has also held a variety of positions in Illinois government, including the Governor’s Office, the General Assembly, the Attorney General’s Office, and the Office of Executive Inspector General for the Agencies of the Illinois Governor. Jessica has also represented clients in a variety of litigation matters while working in private practice in Springfield, Illinois

Education

Southern Illinois University – Carbondale, B.S. in Paralegal Studies, summa cum laude (2003)

Southern Illinois University School of Law, J.D., summa cum laude (2008)

Distinctions

Emerging Lawyer, Leading Lawyers (2017)

“Forty Under 40” honoree, Springfield Business Journal (2016)

Professional Activities

• Member, Association for Student Conduct Administration (2023)
• Section Council Member, Illinois State Bar Association Education Law Section Council (2023)
• Section Council Member, Illinois State Bar Association Human and Civil Rights Section Council (2023)
• Member, Champaign (Illinois) Chamber of Commerce (2023)
• Member, National Association of College and University Attorneys (2019)
• Member, Board of Directors, Chatham Area Chamber of Commerce (2016–2018)
• Member, Governance Committee, Girls on the Run of Central Illinois (2016–2018)
• Volunteer, Take Your Child to Work Day Mock Trial, Central Illinois Women’s Bar Association (2014–2018)

News

Speaking Engagements

Publications

Additional Items

• Author, “Seventh Circuit Affirms Prior Decision Regarding Gender-Affirming Bathroom Use,” Illinois State Bar Association Human and Civil Rights Section Council newsletter, October 2023
• Presenter, “Anti-Hazing Basics for those New to Ohio and New to Anti-Hazing Work,” Bowling Green State University Anti-Hazing Summit, August 1, 2023
• Presenter, Southern Illinois University School of Law Higher Education Webinar Series, June 2022 and 2023
• Presenter, Two Day Title IX Team Experiential Workshop, July 10-11, 2023
• Presenter, “Making the Most of Contractors: How to leverage external resources to meet your needs while upholding your institutional ethic of care,” Association for Student Conduct Administration Annual Conference, January 202
•  Presenter, “Title IX Investigator Training,” Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education, March 10, 2023
• Presenter, “Title IX Decision-Maker Training,” Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education, November 4, 2022
• Presenter, “Is Your Campus Prepared to Comply with Collin’s Law?” AICUO Collaborative Conference, June 2, 2022
• Presenter, “Self-Care for Your Title IX Team,” Bowling Green State University Title IX Summit, May 13, 2022
• Presenter, “Title IX Investigator Training,” Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education, February 18, 2022
• Presenter, Title IX Investigator, Decision-Maker, Coordinator training series (basic and advanced), Ohio Department of Higher Education, Spring 2021
• Presenter, “Informal Resolution of Title IX Cases,” Association for Student Conduct Administration Annual Conference, February 9, 2021
• Presenter and co-creator of Bricker & Eckler’s Level I, II, and III Title IX trainings
• Presenter, Concussion Litigation Update, Legal Issues and Student Affairs Drive-In Conference, February 2020
• Presenter, Title IX Investigator Training Workshop for College and University Administrators, January 2020
• Presenter, Title IX Hearing Officer Training Workshop, December 2019
• Presenter, Title IX Bootcamp presented by the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence, September 2019

Jessica grew up in Illinois and lived there until 2019, when her family moved to Ohio for her husband’s position at The Ohio State University. She worked in the Columbus office between 2019 and 2022, before her family returned to Illinois to be closer to family. She now lives and works in Champaign, Illinois, where she continues to support the firm’s higher education clients across the country.