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IN OUR CLIENTS’ OWN WORDS
CONTACT US NOW FOR A CONSULTATIONTestimonials
Title IX and Conduct Code Violations Testimonials
I’d done a lot of research on how schools handle their discipline process under Title IX because the charges against me were very serious, and I did a lot of research on who to hire before selecting Duffy Law. Felice and her team were super capable and attentive. I have heard that people usually have to chase their lawyers for information, but they reached out to me when they needed anything to keep the case going in the right direction.
They didn’t let anything slip by. Their intense attention to detail was incredible. Everyone at the firm was also very personable and it was obvious that they genuinely believed in me. My future was a stake and they got that. I chose a firm that helped me clear my name, get vindication, and achieve what I needed to achieve to protect my future.
Male college junior at a northeast public university
I selected the firm after doing extensive research trying to locate an attorney that specializes in sexual assault cases on university campuses. Late one night I emailed Felice for a consult just to see what she had to say. By 6:30am the next morning she had already emailed me back leaving her information for me to call her. I was impressed by her promptness and early morning response. Our criminal attorney informed our family that this simply wasn’t his specialty and strongly recommended we hire someone who really understood how university disciplinary systems work.
In our culture, we are not often trusting and it took a huge step of faith to consider someone we didn’t know (much less one from out of state) to defend our son. Based on her collegiate athletic background I felt that she would have a better understanding of our case as our son is a D1 athlete. Based on that and her professional accomplishments I felt like she was driven and determined and she clearly had the ability to understand the laws associated with Title IX.
Bottom line is that our son was found 100% not responsible (meaning not guilty) of the extremely serious charges that were brought against him by a female student. Felice Duffy and her team were professional, focused, responsive and did a great job throughout the entire stressful ordeal. When we think about how badly and unfairly our son might have been treated by the school, we truly count our blessings that we found Ms. Duffy.
Parent of a private midwestern college sophomore
My experience with Attorney Felice Duffy was extremely positive & professional. Attorney Duffy’s background, a combination of both legal and extensive college athletics experience, made her uniquely capable of advising me each step of the way through the process. Attorney Duffy was readily available whenever there was a new development to answer any questions and provide advice, often going out of her way to assist.
You cannot imagine how important this is until you are thrust unexpectedly in a volatile and stressful situation and you need good advice in a hurry. This advice lead to positive resolution of the matter that I sought counsel on. Duffy Law gets the strongest possible recommendation from to anyone in need of legal representation, especially to someone involved in college athletics.
Head coach, men’s northeast college soccer team
Attorney Duffy’s psychology background makes her great at relating to people. I was the captain of my team and thought there was no way I was going to be let back into school, much less play again. With Felice’s help I was found not responsible and my suspension was reversed and I didn’t miss any playing. She told me what points to raise, when to raise them, and helped me build my confidence back up. I had a lot of anxiety but she helped me keep perspective during the whole thing. She’s been through a lot in her own life and helped me see the light at the end of the tunnel, because she really gets what people are going through — especially something traumatic. Her office is extremely organized. Felice and her staff got documents and emails back to me and to all the officials at the school at exactly the right times. Her preparation in reading every page of every policy let her address the exact issues and circumstances we faced at every step of the process. I will always be grateful to Felice and Duffy Law.
Female college sophomore at a New England private college
When I was first accused of violating my school’s Title IX policy, I retained an attorney who, despite his years of expertise, did not have any experience with Title IX. I thought this attorney would aggressively fight for my rights, but the reality was that he was uncommunicative, unsupportive, and inexperienced when it came to my case. His approach left me feeling helpless and even more afraid than I was when I began the process, so my parents and I decided to look elsewhere for representation. Thankfully, we found Duffy Law.
The representation I received from Duffy Law was the complete opposite of what I had received from my previous attorney. The team made sure I was always updated on the status of my case and well-informed about the next steps. They took the time to get to know me personally and treated me as an individual rather than just another client. They valued the importance of open and expedient communication with both me and my support system, and their extensive experience with working at collegiate institutions helped me feel confident in the advice they gave me. All in all, Duffy Law helped me gain back my confidence in myself and put me in a position where I am sure of my future for the first time in a long time.
Male freshman at a southern public university
Before being accused, I had no idea what the Title IX process looked like. I knew I was in jeopardy of losing the career I had devoted my entire life to, and I felt powerless to do anything about it. The only thing I knew to do was to hire representation to guide me through the process, and I am eternally grateful that I decided to hire Duffy Law.
Having Duffy Law on my side was essential to knowing what to expect, particularly because I was hardly given any guidance from the institution I worked for. They helped me stay mentally healthy through what was a frightening and intimidating process and reminded me to hold my head high, to stay professional, and to stick to the facts of what I knew happened. They transformed a process that I was entirely unfamiliar with and terrified by into one I felt confident navigating.
For my case, there was a tremendous amount of evidence that needed to be gathered and parsed through critically reviewed. Every piece of information was thoughtfully presented to the Title IX office. Understanding the post-decision process was crucial for me to effectively put one foot in front of the other and step back into my career.
Without the expertise of someone who knows Title IX, I cannot imagine how I would have managed this process, let alone have been found not responsible. When faced with allegations like these, you quickly realize that the cost of a lawyer is worth it to protect the career you have poured your heart into developing. Duffy Law helped me achieve the best possible outcome and enabled me to continue on in the career I love, and I am so glad that I chose them to represent me.
Male professor at a southern public university
When I found Duffy Law, I was going through one of the most difficult times of my life. I was dismissed from my physician’s assistant program, and even though I felt the dismissal was unfair, I had no idea how I would prove that. However, once I met Attorney Duffy, I immediately felt at ease. She was there for me every step of the way from start to finish.
One part of the process I had to go through consisted of me going before an appeals board at the institution by myself, and although I felt timid and unsure when I learned I had to do this, Attorney Duffy helped me develop the confidence I needed to effectively present my case. I would definitely recommend Attorney Duffy and her team to anyone else facing a similar situation.
They are thorough, professional, and helped me win my appeal and get reinstated into my program! In fact, when I received the marks for my new semester (all of which were exceptional), I reached out to Attorney Duffy and her team to let her know that we had done it. I am so appreciative of everything that Duffy Law did to make it so that I could continue to pursue my dream career.
Female graduate student at a northeast private university
The claims leveled against me were terrible, but the wonderful news is that I was fully cleared of all the allegations because of the outstanding work the team at Duffy Law did on my behalf. The first thing that really impressed me was that from the very first call they quickly understood what was going on and was able to read between the lines to understand the complicated dynamics of the situation. Despite my entire career being spent in academia, I didn’t know much about Title IX procedures. Her expertise and knowledge of the process was immediately apparent and critically helpful in guiding me and giving me as much peace of mind as possible..
My attorney knew how to spot the important subtext throughout the process and made sure I understood the strategic options I had at every stage going forward. I felt very confident in the decisions we made together. I felt vindicated by the decision and that this situation will have no further effects on my career. I am very grateful to Duffy Law for guiding me through this stressful process and recommend them without reservation to any faculty member facing a similarly challenging situation.
Male assistant professor in the School of Medicine at a mid-west university
I hired Felice Duffy in the middle of a Title IX sexual assault proceeding. While I had initially retained another attorney on a recommendation, it turns out they did not have much insight to the inner workings of university policy, which I learned is NOT required to follow the basic laws of due process. Felice was absolutely incredible, and as an athlete, she understood my thought process and feelings the entire way. This is what stood out the most to me. At the beginning of my school’s adjudication process, I was an absolute mess. Not only is Felice extremely knowledgeable in law and how school adjudication processes work, but she also really does care about her clients and their well-being.
It was initially extremely tough for me to speak about what I was facing. Felice was able to assist me not only in compiling the proper evidence and responding to the school, but also put me in the right state of mind to defend myself and move on with my life after it was all completed. Prior to hiring Duffy Law, I was concerned that I would be relegated to working with a legal assistant or secretary being that my case was in a college setting as opposed to a state court. However, Felice always found a way to make time and was there every step of the way.
I feel like an important part of hiring an attorney is being able to trust them to fight for you no matter what the scenario may be and you can rest assured you will be getting that with Duffy Law. I would recommend Felice Duffy of Duffy Law 10 times out of 10 to anyone that may be put in a tough situation like I was.
Female college freshman at a New England private university
I would recommend the attorneys and staff at Duffy Law to anyone in trouble with their school for many reasons. First, they are very easy to talk to and helped me understand what seems to be a pretty crazy process. They were very comforting. They scheduled many zoom meetings to go over all the many details they needed to figure out to best represent me. They always made sure I was comfortable with what I had to tell the various school officials. Being found not responsible was like a huge weight being lifted off my shoulders. Going with Duffy Law was one of the best decisions my family and I ever made.
Male college Junior at a southern private college
I would (and have) recommended Felice because my case was very difficult, and I don’t believe I would have navigated the process and prevailed without someone who was a true expert in the area title ix and sexual assault. Felice is whip smart and she outmatched the perpetrator’s lawyer plain and simple. Felice was able to predict what the other side would do and was right virtually every time.
When consulting employment lawyers before Felice, they convinced me the University would never find cause, nor would they be likely to remove him and I would be risking my career and should drop it. But that completely changed when I got Felice and her team involved. Felice talked me out of my initial instincts, and I am very grateful that she did because her expertise and her approach was what I needed to get the positive outcome I did.
I was originally looking for a bulldog who would rip to shreds the person who abused me. And though Felice’s competitiveness gives her that bulldog spirit, she’s not hotheaded at all. She’s very methodical and she didn’t let her emotions (or mine) get in the way of her choosing the right strategies and actions, even though the other side’s lawyer personally attacked her, me, used foul language, and made threats. Felice made it clear that it doesn’t matter if you’re the actual victim, you can be made out to be the perpetrator by the opposing lawyer, so you need an experienced lawyer to protect you.
Through the entire process, my husband and I were incredibly grateful to have Felice as our advocate.
Female professor at a Southwest university
My son was accused of sexual assault during his first year at college. The allegation was anonymous and as the rumor spread, did significant damage to his reputation and relationships with his peers.
It was a difficult situation with no clear answers. We turned to Duffy Law to advise us on how to respond to the situation. My son received counseling on what to say and how to protect himself so he would be in the best position if a Title IX complaint was filed.
It was a comfort to have the expertise and support of everyone at the firm. Ultimately my son decided wanted to withdraw and was able to do so in good standing.
Having Duffy Law in our corner gave us confidence that we were making well informed decisions. Getting them involved early on was one of the best decisions I made.
Parent of a male college freshman at a Southwest private college
When I heard that a student in a club I had participated in had accused me of sexual harassment and mentioned the possibility of a Title IX complaint, my family and I researched law firms that specialized in this kind of situation. Duffy Law’s extensive website was clearly the most comprehensive, so we went with them. We quickly learned how complicated and risky it would have been to handle the situation on our own.
Everything was explained to us clearly and we immediately felt confident that we’d made the right decision and that we’d get the situation handled successfully.
My school’s Title IX process was a colossal black box of confusion. When you’re accused of something you didn’t do, it weighs on you in a hundred different ways, and it’s so easy and tempting to be angry and say things that could make things worse.
It was amazing to have someone guide us wisely at every turn and keep us from doing anything that could have inadvertently jeopardized my situation.
My case was resolved with no charges brought. It’s a huge relief to have it out of my life. I have the bandwidth again for the things I want and need to focus on. My family and I can’t recommend Duffy Law highly enough.”
Male sophomore at a northwest private college
I was worried that no lawyer would be willing to look past what everyone was saying in my college newspaper and the local press and see me as the person I really am. Immediately when I talked with Felice, she didn’t judge me based on anything other than the interactions we had. That was super important to me. One of the first things she said to me was “Tom, you’re not a bad person.” She gave me a lot of comfort. She really understood the situation as it was, and she was always straightforward about what she believed would be best for me.
I was extremely worried about whether I would graduate college after 4 years of hard work. I was worried that I wouldn’t even get a chance to tell my story. From emails all along the way, to the opening and closing statements at my hearing, Felice guided me how to say what I knew was true in my heart. Her understanding of the how college administrators were thinking about the situation was critical to the positive outcome of my case. Without her, I don’t think I’d have gotten my diploma.
Male senior at a northeast private college
We were referred by a friend and very well-respected lawyer to Duffy Law based on Attorney Duffy’s extensive experience in working with Colleges and Universities. Our son ran into several issues at his university including drug charges that jeopardized his ability to stay on campus and could easily have led to his being expelled.
The entire team at Duffy Law did a great job explaining what we needed to do, who we needed to speak with, what we should say (and not say), what information we needed to gather, what actions we needed to take and how to go about the entire process. Their strategy was perfect. Their communication with my son and our family (and the school) was always prompt and clear. They were extremely well prepared to deal with the school officials who controlled our son’s fate and provided the best defense possible.
The end result allowed our son to return to school and live on campus – which thankfully exceeded our highest expectations. On a scale of 1-10- we’d personally give Duffy Law an 11! Thank you Felice and Paul!”
Parents of a male college freshman in New England
The biggest lesson Felice taught me is that you CAN control what is your responsibility to control when everything around you seems out of control. Felice calmed me down and taught me how controlling your actions now can benefit you later. For starters, she totally understands what women athletes go through. I’d never had anyone in my life who really got that before.
She reminded me always that I was in the right. She told me how I had every right to do what I was doing even if I doubted myself at times. Sure, she helped me work with myself and my situation, but she also gave me the courage to see that I could benefit the entire team and school so others don’t have to go through what I went through.
Without Felice I would not have had the strength to do it on my own. I felt that everyone was against me, but she was always there to support me. My family saw how hard the situation was for me and once Duffy Law got involved, we all saw that we could actually win – and we did.
Sophomore female athlete, private northeast college
Here’s what to do if you get a notice from your school about a Title IX violation. Step one: tell your parents. Step two: Call Duffy Law. They took the time to understand the specifics of my case and everyone there was totally invested in it. Their response time was super-fast and I really appreciated that. From our very first meeting they were reassuring about the process and it was clear that they were completely in their element. We resolved the case with a far more favorable result than my family and I would have gotten on our own.
Male freshman at a private university in the south
I am writing to let any college student who gets accused of something serious by their school know that they need a lawyer like Felice Duffy to defend them. I was accused of something terrible by a student that I would never do and didn’t do. Even though I knew exactly what actually happened, I was very scared that my university might not find me innocent. It was terrifying to think that I might lose my full basketball scholarship or could have been suspended or expelled and that me and my family’s name could have gotten a horrible reputation. I can’t even put into words how I excited I was when I got the letter from the school that cleared me completely of the charges against me and I have Felice to thank for that 100%.
Since I’m not in Connecticut, Felice and her investigator used video conferencing to interview me and my witnesses, talk with my parents, and get me fully prepared for every meeting I had with my school. They got all my texts and email that proved my innocence and organized them perfectly for the Dean and the discipline committee. Felice was always very direct and respectful even though the subject matter was very personal, and she was always ahead of the school in terms of getting me and them important information at every step. It was like having the best scouting report ever.
Felice obviously knows her stuff but she also deeply cares. You can tell that she loves the work she’s doing to help college kids in really difficult situations.”
Male college sophomore, western private university
I was falsely accused of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation by one of my Ph.D. students. Knowing I was innocent of the charges caused me to initially underestimate how stressful the process was going become. It was critical to get the help of a lawyer who completely understood the nuances of the investigatory process and follow-up hearings. We won a reversal of the initial investigation report and I was found not responsible of all charges. It was obviously a huge relief to be able to put this difficult process behind me. The team at Duffy Law was fantastic.
Male college professor, west coast public university
When your kid is accused of a serious conduct code violation at his college, you quickly learn that there’s a whole different set of rules in place than in the real world. There are no legal standards, no assurances of a “fair trial.” You’re presumed guilty and you have to backtrack and prove why you’re NOT guilty. We pretty quickly realized that we needed strong legal representation and guidance. Our son was completely falsely accused and we were ready to dig in to clear his name.
Duffy Law’s truly unique background and deep experience with navigating the school’s process was amazing. They made it clear that our son was the client, not us (his parents). They worked with him extensively and earned his total trust. He felt empowered that he had the right people in his corner to defend him. They gave our whole family a sense a calm and confidence.
Thanks to incredibly hard work by Felice and her team, our son was found “not responsible” (meaning innocent of any wrongdoing). The outcome was everything we could have hoped for. I have already recommended Duffy Law to a friend who’s son was caught up in a serious, very complicated conduct code charge, and I will continue to recommend them to any student or parent without reservation.
Parent of a male southwest private college senior
I was introduced to Attorney Duffy by my criminal defense attorney because I was fighting both a criminal charge and a conduct code violations charge. Felice’s office responded right away and she and I met by Zoom video. She and her team were respectful, professional and super knowledgeable. They made everything clear and easily understandable. They knew exactly what questions to ask the school officials to get them to focus on the facts that supported my case. I was incredibly well prepared. I knew what I was going to say before I went in to my interviews and how to react to the many questions that would have tripped me up. I got probation, which was definitely the best possible outcome and I couldn’t have gotten that without Attorney Duffy’s help.
Male college junior at a west coast public university
We hired Felice because we were told she was one of the best lawyers in this specialized area where college athletics, Title IX, and conduct code violation intersect. We couldn’t be happier on our daughter’s behalf. As parents, we obviously care deeply about our daughter and her safety. Felice was open and honest with us at every turn throughout the school’s formal and informal proceedings. How Felice interacted with our daughter and the positive impact she made in our daughter’s life was amazing. What our daughter learned will be with her for the rest of her life and she’ll be able to bring those lessons to her fellow female athletes well into the future. We couldn’t put a price on it. It’s the best takeaway we could have hoped for.
Parent of female sophomore athlete, private northeast college
I came to Felice with a very difficult and delicate Title IX matter. The unofficial case had been ongoing for over a year, and I lived in constant fear of an official proceeding. I didn’t know my rights nor what the best course of action was. Upon hiring Felice, she helped me to quickly and efficiently develop an action plan. Felice is an expert in Title IX proceedings, and not once during our engagement did Felice not know the answer to any question I had. She was crucial in helping me navigate the extremely complicated rules, regulations, and processes surrounding Title IX. Thanks to her commitment to understanding my unique situation, my case has been solved.
Felice is a great lawyer. But beyond that, she is an incredible person. Before coming to her, my case had had detrimental effects on mental health, largely due to the uncertainty of what would happen in the future. Felice’s thoughtfulness and attentiveness calmed me significantly, and my time with her taught me that my Title IX case shouldn’t define my stress levels nor my life. I would hire her again without hesitation.
Male college senior at an east coast private university
I could write a book about why you should hire Duffy Law immediately if your child is accused of a serious Title IX violation. The first three chapters would be: 1. They know the law and applicable federal regulations better than anyone else — and far better than the schools. 2. Their attorneys and paralegals are super-smart, honest, compassionate, responsive, tough and wise. 3. They are on top of every detail in what can quickly become an overwhelming very high-stakes process (in our case suspension and a permanent mark on our son’s educational record).
Duffy Law gave us our life back. They won two separate appeals that resulted in our son being found not responsible of all the charges he was accused of — which is, apparently uncommon (especially in a pure “he said/she said” situation). They never gave up on our son or the justness of his case, even in the face of long odds. They kept my son, and my husband and me sane.
Of greatest and most lasting impact though (beyond the exoneration they won for our son) was that they helped us realize that this horrible experience did not and does not define our child or our family going forward. That is worth the world to us.
You never send your kid off to college thinking something like this could happen and derail his education and follow him forever. But it does happen. And if it happens to you, seriously, get yourself and your family to Duffy Law. Immediately.
Parent of a freshman at a southeast private college