Apalla U. Chopra

Chopra has become one of the go-to lawyers nationally for investigating and handling litigation regarding how universities address sexual assault allegations under Title IX.

She recently helped Harvard University prevail on summary judgment in a case alleging the school had not responded appropriately to a student’s allegations of sexual assault. U.S. District Judge Denise J. Casper ruled June 29 that the school’s response was reasonable and did not amount to deliberate indifference. Leader v. Harvard University, 16-CV10254 (D. Mass., filed Feb. 16, 2016).

Chopra also represented Claremont McKenna College in a case where John Doe sought to compel the college to set aside his suspension after he was found responsible for violating the school’s sexual misconduct policy.

Claremont McKenna secured the denial of Doe’s writ of administrative mandate, and oral arguments on the petitioner’s appeal are scheduled to be heard this summer. Doe v. Claremont McKenna College, BC615780 (L.A. Super. Ct., filed April 1, 2016).

More recently, Chopra was hired by the University of Southern California to lead its investigation into the school’s handling of alleged inappropriate touching and comments by a former university gynecologist.

Chopra, chair of O’Melveny’s labor and employment practice, has represented colleges and universities since she joined the firm more than two decades ago. But she said it was the U.S. Department of Education’s 2011 “Dear Colleague” letter explicitly tying schools’ handling of sexual assault allegations to Title IX that led to longtime clients seeking her counseling in that realm.

“My Title IX practice naturally expanded from there, as other universities took notice of the work we were doing for our existing clients and those clients recommended me to their colleagues at other schools,” Chopra said.

The ongoing #MeToo movement has not made the Title IX litigation more difficult to defend against, she said, but has focused more attention on those cases.

“Throughout the years I have been handling this work, I have always focused on crafting legal defenses that are not only likely to result in a successful outcome, but also that are consistent with my clients’ practical needs and values,” she said.

— Lyle Moran