EDUCATION
Syracuse University College of Law, J.D., 2006Syracuse University, B.A., summa cum laude, 2003
ADMISSIONS
- 2007, New York
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York
- U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas
Recognition
- Super Lawyers New York Metro (2022 - 2023)
- Super Lawyers New York Metro Rising Stars (2014 - 2021)
- Top Woman Lawyer
- Crain’s 40 Under 40 2019
- Crain’s Notable Women in Law 2020
Kimberly C. Lau
Practice Leader, Partner
Her experience includes state and federal practice, trials, arbitrations, mediations and appeals in commercial litigation, defamation actions and Title IX/college disciplinary matters. She has represented numerous students both male and female in over 300 proceedings addressing a broad spectrum of disciplinary matters, including, academic dishonesty, theft, harassment, sexual misconduct, and gender discrimination at major college and universities across the country. She regularly serves in a critical advisory role during student disciplinary proceedings.
The primary goal of her college disciplinary practice is to advocate for student rights during the disciplinary process in all types of disciplinary matters, whether the student is a complainant or the accused. Accused students seek Ms. Lau’s assistance to help them develop an appropriate defense, and safeguard their due process rights before a life-altering decision is made. Meanwhile, complainants requiring support in navigating the disciplinary process look to Ms. Lau’s professional advocacy and guidance to ensure that their rights are protected and respected.
The core beliefs that guide her work are fairness, accountability and due process. Students seeking a resolution for their grievances on campus are entitled to a transparent and thorough process. At the same time, when male or female students go through a process in which they are presumed guilty until innocent, it runs contrary to due process, a stronghold of our American legal system.
In 2022, Ms. Lau obtained a unanimous $5.3M jury verdict for a former Clemson student who had been falsely accused of rape. She pursued defamation and conspiracy claims against three individuals who were responsible for the defamation of her client. This resulted in one of the largest verdicts awarded in the area for causes of action involving a private individual plaintiff. During this litigation, Ms. Lau also obtained a writ to the Supreme Court of South Carolina that ended the state’s longstanding practice of allowing special referees to decide discovery motions who were without jurisdiction to do so.
Ms. Lau's affiliations include the New York County Lawyers Association, the New York Women's Bar Association, FACE (Families Advocating for Campus Equality), National Association of Professional Women, and Asian Women in Business.
She regularly teaches continuing legal education programs regarding Title IX enforcement and litigation, and the evolving landscape of Office for Civil Rights’ Title IX guidance. Ms. Lau has authored numerous articles on issues affecting how colleges and universities handle sexual assault on campus, the federal privacy statutes impacting student education records, and tips from her extensive experience in handling over 300 cases in this area across the nation at both public and private education institutions.
Ms. Lau’s expertise in Title IX and college disciplinary matters has been featured on national news outlets, such as, CNN, ABC's Nightline, and The Wall Street Journal, and she has been quoted in national news media, including Newsweek, Yahoo News, The New York Observer, and The Daily Beast.
Ms. Lau is on the Board of Directors of FACE (Families Advocating for Campus Equality). FACE advocates for due process in college disciplinary tribunals. She regularly engages in lobbying efforts on the topic of our nation’s campus disciplinary systems in Washington D.C. with the goal of educating legislators on all perspectives, and effecting change.