Education and Labor and Employment Attorney
Attorney Randy Geller’s practice is principally devoted to advising educational institutions and public and private employers.
Randy works with educational clients on matters involving institutional governance; Title IX policies and investigations; student discipline; FERPA and public records; open meetings; accreditation; and labor and employment law in both unionized and non-unionized workplaces. He defends schools and colleges in civil investigations and assists them with major initiatives and projects, news media inquiries, and crisis management.
Randy works with both public and private employers on matters involving COVID-19; sexual harassment and discrimination under Title VII; disability accommodations; Oregon’s paid sick time and pay equity laws; Oregon and federal wage and hour rules; employee handbooks and policy development; employment and independent contractor agreements; non-competition agreements; and collective bargaining and interpretation of labor agreements. Randy also performs workplace investigations.
Randy’s practical approach to problem-solving, keen awareness of internal and external political issues, and understanding of financial and organizational constraints are the result of 19 years at two public research universities. Immediately before coming to the firm, Randy was the General Counsel to University of Oregon, one of five senior officials reporting directly to the president.
How I Serve Clients
I help colleges, universities, and school districts address a wide variety of challenging issues at the intersection of education, institutional management, public policy, and the law. I counsel public and private employers on a wide range of day-to-day issues and also perform workplace investigations.
With years of general counsel experience at a major university, I offer not only legal advice, but also practical advice to help clients manage problems and implement effective solutions so that small problems do not become large ones.
Bar Admissions
- Oregon State Bar
- Washington State Bar Association
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Memberships
- Oregon and National Council of School Attorneys (COSA)
- Lane County Bar Association
- Multnomah County Bar Association
- National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA)
- J.D., University of Washington School of Law
- B.A. (Political Science/Political Economy), The Evergreen State College
Publications
- “Comments, Followers and Friends - Government Social Media Accounts and the First Amendment,” Oregon State Bar Bulletin (July 2019).
- Author, Criminal Conduct by Students: The Institution’s Response, National Association of College and University Attorneys (2007).
- Co-editor (with Abigail Byman), Intellectual Property in Academe: A Legal Compendium, National Association of College and University Attorneys (2001).
Presentations
- Discussion Leader, Discrimination Issues in a Unionized Environment, National Association of College and University Attorneys Annual Conference (2019).
- Speaker, The Times They Are A-Changin’: Surviving Transition, National Association of College and University of Attorneys Annual Conference (2014).
- Speaker, Fundamentals of Real Estate Transactions: Due Diligence and Practice Pointers, National Association of College and University Attorneys Annual Conference (2010).
- Speaker, P2P War Stories: Tales from the Trenches, Cornell University Institute for Computer Policy and Law (2009)
- Discussion Leader, P2P File-Sharing News: A Peer-to-Peer Discussion Group, National Association of College and University Attorneys Annual Conference (2008).
- Speaker, Student Disciplinary Issues in Higher Education, National Association of College and University Attorneys Annual Conference (2007).
- Moderator, The Return of In Parens Patriae -or- What Makes Our Relationship with Students Special? National Association of College and University Attorneys Annual Conference (2005).
- Speaker, Legal Issues in Student Housing, National Association of College and University Attorneys Annual Conference (2001).
- Moderator, Revisiting In Loco Parentis: A Crazy Notion?, National Association of College and University Attorneys Annual Conference (2000).
- Speaker, Legal Issues in Admissions and Financial Aid, National Association of College and University Attorneys Annual Conference (1999).
- Audited an educational institution’s policy and procedure under Title IX, the Violence Against Women Act, and the Clery Act.
- Defended a client before the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education in a sexual misconduct matter with multiple complainants.
- Counseled an educational institution on the effect of changes made to federal Title IX guidance.
- Represented a client in a high-profile employment claim brought by a former senior administrator.
- Counseled a client on a high-profile matter involving repeated sexual misconduct by an employee.
- Defended a client in a high-profile matter involving the disclosure to a regional news organization of information protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).
- Counseled a client on defense and indemnity of former general counsel in a high-profile dispute.
- Defended both public and private employers before the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries in civil rights and wage and hour cases.
- Advised a public employer on a union organizing campaign under the Oregon Public Employee Collective Bargaining Act (PECBA).