McAllister Olivarius Names Kelsey Murrell Lead of its Higher Education Practice
NEW YORK (May 6, 2022) – International law firm McAllister Olivarius is pleased to announce the promotion of Kelsey Murrell to lead its Higher Education Practice, which represents students, staff, and faculty members who have experienced discrimination, sexual violence or sexual harassment. The firm pursues civil litigation against schools and universities for violations of Title IX and Title VII in the US, and for sex discrimination under the Equality Act in England.
With offices in New York and Greater London, McAllister Olivarius has an international reputation for providing skillful and supportive representation to people unfairly treated by employers, universities, online harassers, government bodies, and others. The firm’s Higher Education Practice has represented students and staff at major universities, including Yale, Columbia, NYU, the University of Miami, Stanford, the University of Rochester, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Oxford, Cambridge, Warwick, University College London, UCLA and the University of Illinois.
Ms. Murrell has worked on a broad range of cases for the firm including UK and US employment matters, civil litigation, and Title IX. She is particularly experienced in cases involving discrimination, harassment, and sexual assault. Ms. Murrell succeeds Georgina Calvert-Lee as McAllister Olivarius’ Higher Education Practice Lead.
“I am honored and excited to take on the challenge of leading our Higher Education practice to achieve justice on behalf of those victimized,” said Ms. Murrell. “By helping our clients, we also help schools and universities live up to their responsibility to ensure that students, faculty, and staff are kept safe from discrimination, harassment, and abuse.”
McAllister Olivarius was founded in 1996 by civil rights pioneer Dr. Ann Olivarius. She made American legal history as a plaintiff in the landmark 1977 Title IX case Alexander v. Yale, which established for the first time that American universities have a legal obligation to work to prevent and deter sexual harassment. Today, McAllister Olivarius works to help people who have been treated unfairly, discriminated against, harassed, or abused. The firm has successfully taken on some of the world’s most powerful sophisticated and legally aggressive institutions.
“Since joining our firm, Kelsey has played a vital role in our pursuit of justice on behalf of those who have been treated unfairly by schools and universities,” said Dr. Olivarius, Founding Partner of McAllister Olivarius. “Even though it’s 50 years since Title IX became law, there’s still a lot for us to do. Kelsey’s empathy, fierce intelligence and legal skill will continue to serve our clients well in this more senior role.”
Ms. Murrell received her BA in English from the University of Kansas with the highest distinction. She also gained an MSc in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies and an MSc in Social Anthropology from Oxford University where she studied as a Rhodes Scholar, before completing her Graduate Diploma in Law and her LLM and LPC with distinction at the University of Law, Bloomsbury. She is a Solicitor of England and Wales and attorney licensed to practice in California.