Kate Nearpass, AWI-CH, began her career as a litigator, practicing civil litigation and labor and employment law with both boutique and national firms. After her years spent in private practice, Kate dedicated over a decade of her career to higher education, serving in a multitude of high-profile positions, including as in-house labor and employment counsel, Title IX coordinator, and workplace/campus investigator. Most recently, Kate served as the senior leader responsible for managing all Title VII and Title IX-related complaints and investigations at a university with 30,000 employees and 12,000 students. In that role, Kate directed a team of impartial investigators handling hundreds of cases a year. 

Kate, herself, has supervised and conducted hundreds of workplace and campus discrimination and harassment investigations, including those involving allegations of sexual misconduct, sexual assault, and retaliation. Kate has skillfully navigated complaints in workplace, campus, and healthcare settings, including complaints against faculty members, physicians, bargaining unit employees, and senior leaders.