Leslie Thornton and Steve Sencer Present at National Association of College and University Attorneys 2026 Annual Conference

Two Ropes & Gray attorneys presented at the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA) 2026 Annual Conference in Nashville.

Higher education and health care counsel Leslie Thornton presented June 30 on “The New Realities of Federal Research Funding: A 2025 Post-Mortem and Future Predictions.” The session provided a comprehensive review of federal funding agency activity since January 2025, including:

• The Office of Management and Budget’s proposed overhaul of the Uniform Guidance governing all federal grantmaking, which proposed rule received almost 500,000 public comments;
• Award “pauses”/terminations and recipient reactions, including administrative appeals and litigation;
• Federal funding agency efforts to cap indirect cost rates; and
• Areas of focus for the administration in 2026 and beyond.

Higher education and health care counsel Steve Sencer presented on the June 29 panel “Research Lexicon: An Overview of University Research” during NACUA's Lawyers New to Higher Education workshop. The workshop is offered annually by NACUA and is taught by leading members of the higher education legal community. Steve also presented July 2 on “Navigating Title VI Compliance and Academic Freedom in a Polarized Era” which covered topics including:

• The tension between Title VI, principles of academic freedom and free expression;
• Understanding the evolving Title VI enforcement landscape;
• Scenarios of potential institutional risk points; and
• Developing practical strategies for public and private universities.

NACUA aims to enhance legal assistance to colleges and universities by educating attorneys and administrators on the nature of campus legal issues and offers continuing legal education programming.