National Student Legal Defense Network

In 2018, Meredith Kolodner and Sarah Butrymowicz published a heart-wrenching investigation in the Hechinger Report and the New York Times on La James International College.   Former Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller settled a major case against the school, recovering millions of dollars for students. But as the years went on, the Iowa AG’s office and our team at Student Defense heard from more and more students.    Students reported that the for-profit chain of cosmetology schools was delaying disbursement of financial aid living stipends, often for many months. Delayed payments of a few thousand dollars may not seem like a big deal to some—or enough for a major lawsuit. But for La James students this meant that many didn’t have money for food or rent when they needed it. We had to do something to help our clients and we wanted to show that such actions by colleges violates state consumer protection laws.   After several years and appeals, we are proud to announce that the court granted final approval to a settlement that will compensate students with $1500 each if they saw their payments delayed. This should be a warning to school across the country that delaying stipends for basic needs is likely actionable. https://lnkd.in/eXDHtn66

The team at Student Defense is proud to welcome our newest member, Chris Bryant. Chris brings a wealth of experience in law, academia, and public service to our work and we’re fortunate to have them on board as Counsel. Chris joins Student Defense most recently from Maryland Carey Law, where they taught statutory interpretation and a first-year legal writing and advocacy course as a visiting assistant professor in the law school’s inaugural class of the Donald Gaines Murray Lawyering Teaching Fellows program. Chris has significant litigation and strategic experience from their pre-academia roles. As an associate in the Political Law Group at Perkins Coie LLP, they litigated voting rights cases across the country.  They also co-founded Boroughs Bryant LLC, a law firm that provided strategic counsel to small businesses, nonprofits, and political organizations. In addition, Chris actively participated in all stages of civil litigation in a wide range of cases as an associate at a small plaintiffs’ law firm in Charleston, South Carolina, including initiating a class action lawsuit that secured Hepatitis C testing and treatment for inmates in the South Carolina Department of Corrections. Before beginning practice, Chris clerked for Judge James A. Wynn, Jr. on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and Judge Richard M. Gergel on the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. During law school, Chris served as the first Black editor in chief of the Duke Law Journal, was a member of the Moot Court Board, and participated in the Duke Law Startup Ventures Clinic. Before law school, Chris taught in a traditional public middle school and a K-8 charter public school in Durham, North Carolina. As Student Defense continues to fight to make higher education an equalizer, Chris’ dedication and expertise will be a powerful force for good.

The team at Student Defense is proud to welcome our newest member, Chris Bryant. Chris brings a wealth of experience in law, academia, and public service to our work and we’re fortunate to have them on board as Counsel. Chris joins Student Defense most recently from Maryland Carey Law, where they taught statutory interpretation and a first-year legal writing and advocacy course as a visiting assistant professor in the law school’s inaugural class of the Donald Gaines Murray Lawyering Teaching Fellows program. Chris has significant litigation and strategic experience from their pre-academia roles. As an associate in the Political Law Group at Perkins Coie LLP, they litigated voting rights cases across the country.  They also co-founded Boroughs Bryant LLC, a law firm that provided strategic counsel to small businesses, nonprofits, and political organizations. In addition, Chris actively participated in all stages of civil litigation in a wide range of cases as an associate at a small plaintiffs’ law firm in Charleston, South Carolina, including initiating a class action lawsuit that secured Hepatitis C testing and treatment for inmates in the South Carolina Department of Corrections. Before beginning practice, Chris clerked for Judge James A. Wynn, Jr. on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and Judge Richard M. Gergel on the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. During law school, Chris served as the first Black editor in chief of the Duke Law Journal, was a member of the Moot Court Board, and participated in the Duke Law Startup Ventures Clinic. Before law school, Chris taught in a traditional public middle school and a K-8 charter public school in Durham, North Carolina. As Student Defense continues to fight to make higher education an equalizer, Chris’ dedication and expertise will be a powerful force for good.

The team at Student Defense is proud to welcome our newest member, Chris Bryant. Chris brings a wealth of experience in law, academia, and public service to our work and we’re fortunate to have them on board as Counsel. Chris joins Student Defense most recently from Maryland Carey Law, where they taught statutory interpretation and a first-year legal writing and advocacy course as a visiting assistant professor in the law school’s inaugural class of the Donald Gaines Murray Lawyering Teaching Fellows program. Chris has significant litigation and strategic experience from their pre-academia roles. As an associate in the Political Law Group at Perkins Coie LLP, they litigated voting rights cases across the country.  They also co-founded Boroughs Bryant LLC, a law firm that provided strategic counsel to small businesses, nonprofits, and political organizations. In addition, Chris actively participated in all stages of civil litigation in a wide range of cases as an associate at a small plaintiffs’ law firm in Charleston, South Carolina, including initiating a class action lawsuit that secured Hepatitis C testing and treatment for inmates in the South Carolina Department of Corrections. Before beginning practice, Chris clerked for Judge James A. Wynn, Jr. on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and Judge Richard M. Gergel on the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. During law school, Chris served as the first Black editor in chief of the Duke Law Journal, was a member of the Moot Court Board, and participated in the Duke Law Startup Ventures Clinic. Before law school, Chris taught in a traditional public middle school and a K-8 charter public school in Durham, North Carolina. As Student Defense continues to fight to make higher education an equalizer, Chris’ dedication and expertise will be a powerful force for good.

This is a huge victory today for former Art Institute students. The Biden Administration is announcing over $6.1 Billion will be discharged to more than 317,000 students who attended under EDMC ownership through Oct. 16, 2017. For the past 5 years, Student Defense has represented former Art Institute students.  Our brave clients were lied to about the loss of accreditation upon the sale to the Dream Center in 2017. They have secured millions in federal student loan discharges, and we won’t stop fighting until the owners and executives are held accountable and students can recover tuition they paid out of pocket and through private loans. https://lnkd.in/eHmMdpJB

Five years ago this week, I spoke on a Bipartisan Policy Center panel about the importance of protecting students when colleges close. Irrespective of the causes, it's no secret that closures are increasing. States, accreditors, and the U.S. Department of Education must get serious about this issue. Transparency, communication, and advance planning are critical. #HigherEd https://lnkd.in/e8ut6kqb

More from MarketWatch on the $28.5 million proposed settlement we reached with Walden University on behalf of former DBA students, and the impact of the case on reverse redlining practices in higher education.

Breaking News: We are thrilled to announce a significant milestone in our pursuit of #justice. Today, a landmark settlement has been reached in our case against Walden University alleging predatory targeting of Black and female students. We hope the federal district court will swiftly approve the proposed settlement on behalf of a class of Doctorate of Business Administration students. Relman Colfax is honored to have stood alongside the brave plaintiffs who tirelessly fought for justice not just for themselves, but for all affected students. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the National Student Legal Defense Network for their invaluable partnership in holding this institution accountable. By holding Walden accountable, we reaffirm our unwavering dedication to safeguarding the rights of all students. Together, we continue to strive for a fair and equitable #education system for all. Read here: https://lnkd.in/ekjmshZp

In 2022, we sued Walden University on behalf of Black & female students who alleged they were targeted with false claims about cost and time to complete their degrees. Today, we filed a $28.5M proposed settlement with reforms to protect students! https://lnkd.in/eq6swV3g

Earlier this week, our team spent some time with a group of students from Macalester College, who were in D.C. to explore and learn about possible career paths in the public interest. We should all hope that the next generation of leaders is as insightful and passionate as they were! cc: Tyler Ritchie, Margaret Moran, Sarai Chaidez, Dan Zibel