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Katherine Tierney

Katherine Tierney

Associate
Overview

Katherine uses her legal knowledge to help schools fulfill their educational mission.

Katherine chose to pursue a career as an attorney because she knew the law was a tool to make the world a better place. She entered law school always planning to focus on education out of a passion for Title IX advocacy; however, she was pleased to discover how very broad the education law field was. Katherine is enthusiastic to provide legal counsel on a wide array of regulatory law, helping schools help students reach their full potential.

After working closely with her school’s Title IX directors during her undergraduate years, Katherine served as a board member for the Student Sexual Assault and Harassment Legal Advocacy Service as a law student. She advocated for students filing Title IX reports and helped schools develop Title IX policies. The experience gave her an up-close view of the importance of legal statutes and the value of advocacy and solid legal counsel.

Prior to joining the firm, Katherine served as a Husch Blackwell summer associate, supporting our Education team. She assisted with a faculty tenure case, contributed to accreditation matters and provided legal research on state laws pertaining to sexual misconduct in higher education. Today, Katherine offers regulatory compliance counsel to educational institutions, addressing subjects such as Title IX, Title IV, student handbooks and student policies, the Clery Act, and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). A problem solver who thinks outside the box, Katherine offers creative solutions to help clients reach the best possible outcome.

Service

Education

  • J.D., University of Michigan Law School
    • cum laude
    • The University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform, Contributing Editor
  • B.S., Northwestern University
    • cum laude

Admissions

  • Illinois

Languages

  • Spanish, conversational
Outside the Office

Katherine absolutely adores reading: books are a major part of her life, and she enjoys almost any genre. She mostly gravitates toward fiction but is also fond of nonfiction essay compilations.

When she’s not distracted with a book, Katherine enjoys cooking and attempting to convert recipes for a vegetarian diet. She also likes to run (usually slowly).

Community Leadership

With a love for animals, Katherine volunteers for the Paws Chicago animal shelter.