FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
President of Sports Law Associates, LLC, Janet P. Judge Selected to Receive 2017 Guiding Woman in Sport Award at National Educators Conference
RESTON, VA, March 6, 2017 — Janet P. Judge, the president of Sports Law Associates, LLC, where she works with college and university presidents, general counsel and athletic administrators to assess, reduce and remedy areas of risk in athletics programs, has been selected to receive the 2017 Guiding Woman in Sport Award by SHAPE America – Society of Health and Physical Educators. The presentation will be made on Thursday, March 16, at the organization's National Convention & Expo in Boston. Established in 1987, the award is given in recognition of extraordinary service, leadership, and commitment to girls and women in sport.
A courageous and tireless advocate, Judge epitomizes the central tenets of the Guiding Woman in Sport Award. SHAPE America is proud to add her name to the long list of distinguished recipients which include: Julie Foudy, Nancy Hogshead, Billie Jean King, Jessica Mendoza, Diana Nyad, Robin Roberts and C. Vivian Stringer. Prior to the presentation, Shawn Ladda, Ed.D., professor, Department of Kinesiology, Manhattan College, will deliver the annual Rachel Bryant Lecture entitled "From Advocacy to Outrage....Keep the ball rolling forward!" USA Today National Sports Columnist Christine Brennan, another former Guiding Woman in Sport Honoree, will be inducted into the SHAPE America Hall of Fame later that week.
"SHAPE America is thrilled to honor Janet for her lifelong commitment to access and equality in athletics," says SHAPE America President Jackie Lund of Georgia State University. "Nationally recognized in the area of Title IX, Janet is the author of the NCAA's Best Practices for Title IX coordinators, and the co-author of the NCAA Manual on Gender Equity. She currently represents schools in ongoing Office for Civil Rights (OCR) sexual misconduct and athletic equity compliance reviews and investigations."
Reviewing the evolving landscape of college and university compliance for more than 30 years, Judge has hands-on experience in civil rights litigation, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) infractions, investigations and resolutions;student-athlete eligibility issues, social media education, EADA compliance, contract negotiation, pay equity analysis, as well as general representation and preventative strategies with regard to sexual misconduct, hazing, academic fraud, student-athlete discipline and employment issues.
Judge recently was appointed to the Special Independent Commission to review Title IX compliance at each of the schools in the Tennessee System and the NCAA Board of Governors Commission to Combat Campus Sexual Violence. She has addressed the Knight Commission on the topic of Gender Equity in Athletics and was hired by the NCAA to draft the successful amicus brief for the NCAA in the University of California, Davis case.
The author of a number of articles and book chapters on collegiate compliance, including "Title IX and Athletics" for the College and University Law Manual, (ed., R.W. Iuliano), she taught Sports Law at the University of Maine School of Law and is an online instructor for the National Association of College and University Attorney (NACUA) courses on Social Media Issues in Higher Education, and Title IX Coordinator Responsibilities. To date, more than 1,000 Title IX Coordinators across the country have completed the popular NACUA Title IX online course.
In addition to her law practice, Attorney Judge is a popular and highly regarded public speaker, having worked with student-athletes and staff at more than 500 colleges and universities across the United States. Focusing her message on brand, compliance and risk reduction, she frequently speaks about current sports and sexual misconduct issues. She was a featured speaker at the Collegiate Sports Summit and has been invited to speak at the 2017 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.
Judge is a graduate of Boston University School of Law and Harvard/Radcliffe College where she served as Assistant Director of Athletics upon graduation, and subsequently served as Alumni Relations Office Liaison, Vice-Chair of the Athletics Oversight Committee and as a member of the NCAA Division I Athletics Certification Steering Committee.As an undergraduate she was a varsity women's soccer starting goalkeeper at Harvard. Judge serves on the Boards of HazingPrevention.Org and USA Ultimate.
More than 4,000 health and physical education teachers, researchers and other physical activity professionals are expected to attend the convention, which is the largest event of its kind in the country. The convention, which will take place March 14-18, is held in partnership with SHAPE America Eastern District and the Massachusetts Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (MAHPERD).
For more information about SHAPE America's National Convention & Expo, visit the website and follow #SHAPEBoston.
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About SHAPE America
SHAPE America - Society of Health and Physical Educators is committed to ensuring all children have the opportunity to lead healthy, physically active lives. As the nation's largest membership organization of health and physical education professionals, SHAPE America works with its 50 state affiliates and national partners to support initiatives such as the Presidential Youth Fitness Program, Let's Move! Active Schools and the Jump Rope For Heart/Hoops For Heart programs.
Since its founding in 1885, the organization has defined excellence in physical education, and our resources provide the leadership, professional development and advocacy that support health and physical educators at every level - from preschool to university graduate programs. For more information, visit www.shapeamerica.org.