Kelley B. Hodge Partner

[email protected]

Philadelphia, PA Tel: 215.444.7256 Fax: 215.299.2150

Kelley is an accomplished litigator, trial attorney and compliance adviser with two decades of experience in the areas of higher education, investigations, school safety, civil rights, labor and employment, criminal law and state and federal policymaking.

A legal trailblazer on multiple fronts, Kelley was the first African American woman to lead the District Attorney’s office in its 167-year history and spearheaded key initiatives addressing juvenile justice and school violence in roles with the Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

She is a tenacious advocate and a strategic ally for her clients, helping them proactively assess and mitigate risk using evidence-based legal strategies that ensure compliance with complex regulations and promote cultural competency in crisis planning and response.

Labor & Employment

In her labor and employment practice, Kelley advises clients on compliance with a wide range of state and federal matters including higher education law and Title IX, criminal investigations and civil rights, as well as claims of misconduct and violations of due process that involve employees, students and law enforcement. Kelley has particular experience facilitating collaboration between educational institutions and government agencies to find common-ground solutions to a range of educational privacy rights issues.

She was 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 its 11 schools. Kelley has significant experience guiding the implementation of university-wide training on Title IX, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the Clery Act.

During her tenure as Philadelphia District Attorney, Kelley addressed issues including gun violence and the opioid epidemic as well as capital punishment and criminal justice reform.

A sampling of Kelley's key representative experience includes:

• Co-counsel representing CBS and its station manager in the highly publicized lawsuit brought by former KYW- TV news anchor Alycia Lane in connection with the termination of her employment. The matter concluded with a confidential, mutually agreed upon settlement. • Adjudicator in various matters involving higher education clients/entities regarding Title IX compliance • Oversight member/counsel for the Independent Reconciliation and Reparations Program established by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to financially compensate victims of child sexual abuse by clergy.

Services

• Labor & Employment • Education • Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) • Higher Education • White-Collar Criminal Defense & Regulatory Compliance • Sexual Harassment Prevention Training

Before Fox Rothschild

Prior to joining Fox, Kelley was a member of the litigation practice at a regional Pennsylvania law firm.

Kelley has taught at Drexel University’s School of Law and is a lecturer in law at the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law and will be a lecturer of law at the University of Virginia in the Spring 2021.

In 2013, Kelley served on Pennsylvania Joint State Commission on Violence Prevention following the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, and was appointed to the Interstate Compact for Juveniles Pennsylvania State Council.

In December 2011, former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett appointed Kelley to serve as the Safe Schools Advocate under the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. In this role, Kelley 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.

Beyond Fox Rothschild

Kelley is a member of numerous national and local community service organizations that provide mentorship, scholarship and service to children, women and communities across the Philadelphia region.

Bar Admissions

• Pennsylvania • Virginia

Court Admissions

• U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania • U.S. District Court, Middle District of Pennsylvania

Education

• University of Richmond, T.C. Williams School of Law (J.D., 1996) • University of Virginia (1993)

Memberships

• American Bar Association (2015-2018) • Forum for Executive Women (2018-present) • Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated (2017-present) • Interstate Compact for Juveniles Pennsylvania State Counsel (2014-2017) • Montgomery County Bar Association o Member (2016-present); Judicial Review Committee (2017-present) • Office of the Mayor of Philadelphia, Subcommittee on Re-entry and Recidivism (2012-2013) • Pennsylvania Bar Association (2017-present) • Pennsylvania State Law Enforcement Citizen Advisory Commission (2021) • Pennsylvania Joint State Commission on Violence Prevention (2013) • Richmond Criminal Bar Association o President (2003-2004) • Women of Tomorrow (2014-2019) • The National Black Lawyers Top 100

Board of Directors

• Community College of Philadelphia, Fox Rothschild Center for Law o Advisory Board Member (2014-2018) • International Association of Chiefs of Police, Subcommittee on Hate Crimes o Advisory Board Member • Mercy Neighborhood Ministries, Philadelphia o Governing Board Member (2015-present) • Mission Kids of Montgomery County o Board Member (2018-present) • Mount Saint Joseph Academy o Board Member (2012-2017) • Pennsylvania Innocence Project o Board Member (Jan.-July 2017, 2018-present) • EducationWorks, Philadelphia o Board Member (2019-present) • University of Virginia o President’s Committee to Address Diversity and African-American Interests, Select Board Member o Working Group on Response to Sexual , Select Member (Jan.-April 2015) • Women's Law Project o Board Member (2019-present)

Honors & Awards

• Named a Pennsylvania Trailblazer by The Legal Intelligencer (2020) • Named a Women of Distinction honoree by the Philadelphia Business Journal (2020) • Abington Township, 34th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Award Recipient (2019) • “Strong, Smart and Bold” Honoree, Girls Inc. of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey (2019) • Distinguished Leader, The Legal Intelligencer (2018)