About Lisa A. Brown
Legal Assistant: Linda Price | 713-554-6755 | lprice@thompsonhorton.com
For nearly 30 years, Lisa has served as a trusted legal advisor to institutions of higher education and public schools and has assisted them in navigating the complex and evolving laws that impact students, faculty, and school management.
Lisa’s expertise includes all facets of state and federal employment law, student rights and responsibilities, federal constitutional and regulatory law, student and employee privacy, campus law enforcement, and local government law, including the Texas Public Information Act and Texas Open Meeting Act.
Lisa has particular expertise advising educational institutions regarding the law pertaining to sexual harassment, sexual assault, and child abuse under Title IX, Title VII, and other statutes. She has managed large-scale, multi-plaintiff Title IX litigation and provides consultation with respect to regulatory compliance, claims prevention, policy drafting, employee training, and defense of claims before federal agencies, including the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Justice, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Lisa was the lead author of amicus briefs in three major Title IX cases in the United States Supreme Court on behalf of the National School Boards Association: Gebser v. Lago Vista Indep. Sch. Dist., 524 U.S. 274 (1998); Davis v. Monroe County Board of Educ., 526 U.S. 629 (1999); and Fitzgerald v. Barnstable School Committee, 555 U.S. 246 (2008).
In addition to her litigation practice, Lisa serves as outside general counsel to institutions of higher education and is a frequent speaker at state and national education law conferences.
Education
- J.D., with honors, University of Texas School of Law, 1989
- B.A., with honors, University of Texas at Austin, 1986
Licensing & Court Admissions
- Licensed in the state of Texas
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. District Courts for the Western, Northern and Southern Districts of Texas
Memberships & Recognition
- Texas “Super Lawyer,” Texas Monthly magazine, 2003 – 2021
- Texas Council of School Attorneys, Chair, 2006-2007
- State Bar of Texas School Law Section, Chair, 2002-2003
- National School Boards Association Council of School Attorneys, Board of Directors, 2010-2014
- Texas Association of Community College Attorneys
- Houston Bar Association President’s Award for Outstanding Service, 1992
Selected Client Representations
- Successfully argued appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in cases involving claims under Title IX and Section 1983.
- Represented a school district during an on-campus investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice regarding student allegations of racial and religious harassment
- Advised public and private institutions of higher education on compliance with Title IX, the Clery Act, FERPA, and federal financial aid law
- Obtained injunctions barring allegedly disruptive employees and allegedly disruptive students from returning to campus
- Represented a school district at trial and on appeal in two cases involving religious speech by students
- Obtained summary judgments in employment cases involving sexual harassment claims, pregnancy discrimination claims, whistleblower claims, FMLA claims, and First Amendment free speech claims
- Represented campus police departments in hearings before the State Office of Administrative Hearings relating to police officer terminations
- Prepared executive employment contracts
- Successfully represented the City of Houston in an appeal that affirmed an injunction against an adult-arcade operator
Representative Speeches & Presentations
- “Title IX: The First 50 Years,” University of Texas 37th Annual School Law Conference (2022)
- Panelist, “Defense of Claims by Students Accused of Sexual Misconduct,” NACUA (2019)
- Speaker, “Beyond the Basics: Student-to-Student Sexual Harassment Claims Under Title IX,” Texas Council of School Attorneys (2019)
- Speaker, “Title IX and Sexual Violence: An Overview,” Baylor University Law School General Practice Institute (2017)
- “Retaliation Claims under Federal Civil Rights Statutes and the Constitution,” National School Boards Association Council of School Attorneys Conference (2017)
- Speaker, “The Texas Whistleblower Act,” University of Texas School Law Conference (2013)
- Author, “Accommodating School Employees with Disabilities Under the Americans with Disabilities Act,” Texas Legal Digest