Audrey Anderson focuses her practice on representing colleges, universities and educational institutions. Drawing on her over 30 years of experience gained as outside litigation counsel, government counsel, and as the general counsel for a major research university, Audrey brings judgment, creativity and practicality to solving her client’s problems across a range of issues arising from the activities of students, faculty and others in learning, living, teaching, researching and working on a college campus. Whether an issue arises under the First Amendment or Title IX, occurs in the lab, the board room or the athletics department, involves counseling, negotiation, or litigation, Audrey helps her clients find practical ways forward.

Her practice involves advising institutions on matters related to Title IX and other investigations; policy reviews and revisions; employment and labor issues, including tenure cases; statutory and regulatory compliance; admissions programs; OCR complaints; and litigation of all types. Audrey serves as a Title IX hearing officer and appellate officer for various universities and works objectively to evaluate evidence and conduct necessary hearings with involved parties. In addition and as needed, Audrey has stepped in to serve as interim general counsel at educational institutions while a search is conducted for a permanent replacement.

Prior to joining Bass, Berry & Sims, Audrey served as Vice Chancellor, General Counsel and University Secretary for Vanderbilt University. In this role, she was responsible for all legal advice provided to the university, including its medical center. Audrey also served in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) beginning in 2009, and was Deputy General Counsel from September 2011 until she left the department in March 2013. Her duties there included advising on significant litigation and legislative matters across the department, and working with the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Prior to her term at DHS, Audrey was a partner in the education and litigation practice groups at Hogan & Hartson (now Hogan Lovells), where her practice focused on representing and advising public school districts in litigation and other matters, and representing clients in complex civil litigation and appellate litigation of all types. Audrey began her career serving as a law clerk for the Honorable Harold H. Greene of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and for the Chief Justice of the United States, William H. Rehnquist.

Audrey currently serves as an adjunct faculty member at Vanderbilt Law School teaching higher education law and co-teaching a seminar on the Supreme Court. She is frequently called upon by the media to share her insights on changing laws and new rulings relevant to the higher education industry.

Memberships

National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA)

American Health Law Association (AHLA)

Tennessee Bar Association

District of Columbia Bar Association

Tennessee Women’s Forum

Public Integrity Task Force (Nashville, Tennessee)

Accolades

The Best Lawyers in America© — Education Law; Commercial Litigation (2023-2024)