Amanda Norris Ames

Here’s why you’ll enjoy working with her.

Amanda has served in nearly every role in the Title IX process, including internal investigator at a large, public university, as well as Interim Title IX Coordinator at a small, private college. She regularly counsels the country’s largest educational institutions on complex matters related to harassment and discrimination. She uses her breadth of experience in this area to help colleges and universities navigate sensitive allegations of misconduct amid a rapidly changing regulatory environment. Whether facing a first campus sexual misconduct hearing, an investigation with potential media scrutiny, or a complex allegation of harassment, Amanda is regularly called upon to help institutions in times of crisis. Amanda’s thorough and impartial approach has earned her a national reputation for delivering effective solutions and implementing best practices.

Title IX and Civil Rights Hearing Officer and Decision Maker

Amanda has served as a third-party, neutral hearing officer, adjudicator, and decision-maker for public and private colleges and universities across the country as they respond to reports of sexual misconduct and civil rights violations. Amanda is well-versed in conducting virtual and in-person Title IX hearings, serving as the sole decision-maker or chairing hearing panels in matters involving alleged misconduct by or against students, faculty, and staff. She helps institutions throughout the hearing process, from assisting with preparations for orderly and efficient proceedings to drafting thorough and reasoned written determinations. Amanda also advises institutions and trains Title IX professionals on conducting impartial sexual misconduct hearings, with an emphasis on implementing best practices and ensuring compliance while also focusing on equity and trauma-informed practices.

External Misconduct Investigator

Amanda regularly conducts thorough, fair, and impartial investigations as a neutral, external investigator for higher education institutions facing allegations of employee, student, and faculty misconduct. She is regularly called upon to investigate sensitive reports of sexual assault, harassment, discrimination, and domestic violence. Amanda is skilled at conducting virtual or in-person investigations, approaching serious and potentially high-profile reports with an eye for detail and discretion.

Trusted Title IX Consultant and Advisor

Amanda has served as acting and interim Title IX Coordinator for public and private education institutions, filling this critical role during employment transitions or in matters involving internal conflicts of interest. She has assisted institutions with drafting and revising sexual misconduct policies and procedures and communicating these processes to the campus community. Amanda has helped colleges and universities develop and implement compliance and risk management systems and has trained Title IX teams, coaches, student-athletes, and student groups on sexual misconduct policies and prevention. Amanda enjoys working with campus teams facing complex situations to find innovative and effective solutions that are consistent with campus and community values.

But that’s not all. Amanda is also very experienced in:

• Providing advice and counsel to public and private universities on a wide range of matters, including issues related to student conduct, crisis management, academic freedom, Title IX, Title VII, Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the Clery Act, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and accreditation
• Advising independent schools regarding risk management, policies, and procedures
• Serving as an appointed advisor to parties to Title IX hearings
• Handling complex litigation in state and federal courts across the country, including matters related to antitrust and competition disputes, white-collar investigations, labor and employment law, and gaming law.

In her former life, Amanda was:

• Of Counsel in the Higher Education and Business Litigation practice groups at a large, international law firm
• Civil Rights Investigator in the University of Virginia’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights
• Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Sexual Offense and Domestic Violence Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia
• Honors Program Trial Attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice

When Amanda isn’t working, she is…

Cooking, practicing yoga, or participating in a Peloton challenge. She enjoys exploring Central Virginia and Virginia’s Eastern Shore with her husband and two children. Amanda maintains an active pro bono practice and enjoys working with community non-profits, advocating for working parents, and assisting with election protection efforts.

Presentations and Publications

• Article, “Post-Pandemic Parents’ Survival Skills Can Help Us Become The Next Generation Of Law Firm Leaders.“
• “Workshop Presenter (Co-Presenting with Kai McGintee, “Confidently Navigating Title IX Change: Identifying and Applying Best Practices in Times of Legal and Regulatory Upheaval“, Solving the Campus Sexual Assault and Dating Violence Puzzle Conference (December 2022)
• Workshop Presenter, “Where Do We Start? Confidently Preparing for Efficient and Equitable Hearings,” ATIXA Annual Conference (October 2021)
• Article, “Be Nimble: Considerations for Implementing the Cardona Decision at Your Institution,” Lexology (September 2021)
• Article, “Lessons Learned in the First Year of the 2020 Title IX Regulations,” National Law Review (August 2021)
• Article, “U.S. Department of Education Says Title IX Protects LGBTQ Students,” National Law Review (June 2021)
• Article, “Supreme Court’s Skepticism of NCAA’s Arguments Could Lead to Win for Student-Athletes, Changes in Antitrust Law,” National Law Review (April 2021)
• Training Creator & Facilitator, Title IX Decision Maker Training, at a large public university (February 2021)
• Workshop Presenter, “Conducting Title IX Hearings: the technology, the process, and the personnel,” 7th Annual Solving the Campus Sexual Assault & Dating Violence Puzzle International Conference; NC State University Counseling Center (December 2020)
• Speaker, “End Maternity Leave: What You Can Do To Combat The Motherhood Penalty,” DisruptHR Charlottesville (May 2019)
• Article, “How I Turned My Pumping Breaks into the Self-Care Time Working Moms Desperately Need,” Working Mother Magazine (February 2019)
• Article, “Supreme Court Opens Door to Legalized Sports Betting,” National Law Review (May 2018)
• Featured in Article, “Virginia School Discipline Project expands to Petersburg,” Daily Progress (September 2018)
• Article, “Five Small Ways You Can Combat the Motherhood Penalty,” Ms. JD (August 2018)