Fox Rothschild LLP issued the following announcement on Oct. 9.
Fox Rothschild LLP congratulates Kelley B. Hodge, who was recognized among the 2020 Women of Distinction by the Philadelphia Business Journal.
This annual spotlight honors women in the business community who are “blazing a trail in their respective businesses, are respected for accomplishments within their industries, give back to the community and are…advisers and mentors within their field of influence.” The Philadelphia Business Journal also notes that honorees are “out front, leading the way and driving change across Greater Philadelphia” in mostly male-dominated fields.
Hodge is known for her legal leadership, community advancement and innovation. She was the first African American woman to lead the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office in its 167-year history and spearheaded key initiatives addressing juvenile justice and school violence, criminal justice reform, gun violence and the opioid epidemic. Following that role, Hodge became the first independently identified Title IX Coordinator at the University of Virginia, where she designed and implemented the institution's first-ever sex- and gender-based harassment policies across 11 schools.
Now a Partner at Fox Rothschild, Hodge helped schools across Pennsylvania meet new Title IX mandates and avoid the risk of losing key federal funding. Understanding the compliance pressures facing schools, Hodge and Fox’s Education Law Team created the Title IX Compliance Toolkit – all in less than two months. This six-hour webinar-based training program condenses more than 2000 pages of regulatory details into digestible policies, procedures and implementation outlines. As a direct result of the training, more than 110 school districts across state have now achieved Title IX compliance that, in numerous cases, ensures these public institutions continue receiving federal funding and solidifies their future at a critical time.
A dedicated public servant, Hodge was appointed in 2011 by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett to serve as the Safe Schools Advocate under the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. In this role, she worked closely with the First Judicial District Juvenile and Adult Courts, local law enforcement, mental and behavioral health agencies, community-based agencies, Philadelphia City Council, Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, Philadelphia Mayor’s Office and human relations agencies and national organizations that advocate for civil rights protections for marginalized or minority communities. Two years later, she served on the Pennsylvania Joint State Commission on Violence Prevention following the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, and was appointed to the Interstate Compact for Juveniles Pennsylvania State Council.
She earned her J.D. from the University of Richmond, T.C. Williams School of Law and her B.A. from the University of Virginia. She is also an adjunct professor of law at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.
Original source can be found here.