home
Order Recording

Webinar

Anti-Diversity Complaints:  Understanding and Responding to Challenges Against Higher Education Diversity Programs and Policies

Speaker Biographies

Martinez

Vannesa Martinez Cecchini joined Yale University’s Office of the Vice President and General Counsel in July 2012.  She maintains a broad practice, with a primary focus on labor and employment matters and student affairs.  Prior to joining Yale, she was an Assistant University Counsel with Princeton University's Office of the General Counsel from July 2010 to June 2012. Previously, Ms. Cecchini worked in the Orange County office of Severson & Werson and the Los Angeles and New York offices of Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy. She received her B.A. in Politics from Princeton University in 2003, with certificates in Latin American Studies and Political Theory, and her J.D. from the University of Michigan in 2006.  She served on NACUA's Board of Directors (Class of FY 2015-2018).


Josh Richards Headshot

Josh Richards is a partner at the Philadelphia office of Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr, where he is the Vice-Chair of the firm's Higher Education Practice which has handled hundreds of matters involving Title IX and related issues for colleges, universities, and K-12 schools.  Josh approaches his Title IX work and other matters involving litigation, compliance and/or government investigations from a mission-driven perspective and strives to provide practical advice that protects institutions without compromising their ability to fulfill their primary purposes.  Josh brings this understanding and approach to matters involving employment disputes, student conduct, faculty relations, board governance, financial exigency, accreditation, minors on campus, and civil tort claims, including student death and abuse matters. In addition, he regularly conducts on-site training sessions for higher education clients regarding compliance with civil rights laws and the Clery Act.  Josh is a graduate of Middlebury College and the University of Pennsylvania Law School.  He is currently serving a three-year term (FY 2019-2022) on the Board of Directors of the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA) and is on NACUA's Committee on Program for Annual Conference.