Hailyn Chen to Discuss the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative and Campus Protest and Encampment Responses at 2025 NACUA Conference

Munger, Tolles & Olson Co-Managing Partner Hailyn Chen will participate in two panels at the 2025 National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA) Conference, which will be held from June 22-25 in Seattle. The annual conference covers the latest legal trends and higher education developments and convenes leading practitioners to discuss nearly every major area of higher education law.

Hailyn’s first panel will take place on June 24 and will focus on the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) recently announced Civil Rights Fraud Initiative, which was established to “utilize the False Claims Act (FCA) to investigate and, as appropriate, pursue claims against any recipient of federal funds that knowingly violates federal civil rights laws.” Panelists will discuss the objective, scope and potential impacts of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Fraud Initiative on colleges and universities; the basic tenets of the FCA, its qui tam provision and potential defenses; and practical considerations and approaches for identifying and lawfully addressing areas of heightened FCA risk at institutions.

Hailyn’s second panel will take place on June 25 and will dive into proactive and reactive policy and strategy development regarding potential campus protests and encampments. Panelists will discuss key lessons and takeaways for implementing and sustaining consistent processes, coordinating campus leadership and engaging in meaningful group problem-solving by and for institutions.

Learn more about the full schedule at the 2025 NACUA Conference.