“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Lauren Starnes is passionate about solving problems and supporting clients. She has experience with Title IX and Civil Rights investigations and compliance. Her experience is wide-ranging but primarily based on Title IX compliance for both K-12 school districts and higher education institutions. She also has experience navigating the compliance and risk management complexities associated with dual enrollment programs, nursing and allied health programs, as well as pregnant and parenting. In addition, Starnes has experience with Section 504/ADA and Clery Act compliance.

Starnes enjoys leading trainings at every level. She has experience creating and presenting custom trainings on Title IX compliance, mandatory reporting, and Section 504/ADA compliance.

Prior to joining TNG, Starnes was the Director of Institutional Equity at South Texas College, as well as the college’s Title IX Coordinator and Section 504/ADA Coordinator. During her tenure there, she served on the Clery Committee, participated in Behavioral Intervention Team meetings, and was a member of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Negotiated Rulemaking Committee.

Before dedicating herself to Title IX compliance, Starnes practiced law as a commercial litigation associate at Husch Blackwell, LLP. There, she litigated a variety of cases, including breach of contract, trade secret disputes, and class action defense. She also had a significant pro bono practice, representing clients in adoptions, post-conviction relief, and victims of human trafficking. Before pursuing a legal career, Starnes taught middle school English and coached swimming and cross-country at a private K-12 school.

Starnes holds a B.A. in English from Washington and Lee University. She was also a college athlete for all four years of her undergraduate studies, competing on the women’s swim team. Starnes has a J.D. from Tulane University Law School, where she was an associate justice on the school’s moot court board, competed on and coached several moot court teams, and served as a student-attorney for the domestic violence clinic.

Starnes lives in Kansas City, Kansas, with her husband, daughter, and Cavalier King Charles.