Columbia University has hired the services of renowned Manhattan litigator, Roberta Kaplan, to defend it against a lawsuit filed by a Jewish student over the institution’s handling of pro-Palestine protests on campus. Kaplan has gained recognition in the legal field for her stellar work, including her recent representation of New York advice columnist E. Jean Carroll in an $83 million defamation lawsuit against the former U.S. President, Donald Trump. The current lawsuit raised against Columbia University accuses the institution of failing to provide “a safe, in-person learning environment” amidst the extensive protests.
Legal professionals will find it interesting that Kaplan, a veteran trial lawyer and co-founder of Kaplan Hecker Fink, joined the Columbia case earlier this week. In a fascinating legal battle, Chicago attorney Jay Edelson, renowned for his successful legal battles against major tech companies over privacy violations, leads the team representing the anonymous student.
The case holds specific importance given the recent unrest caused by the protests at the Manhattan university, which culminated in more than 100 arrests on a single Tuesday. The lawsuit, currently seeking class action status, aims to represent all present Columbia students and seeks a court order requiring the university to ensure “safe passage” around the campus during school hours.
The case is also notable for Kaplan’s previous work with Kaplan Hecker Fink, which won the jury verdict for Carroll in January and has a prominent list of corporate clients including Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Uber Technologies Inc. The firm also brought a lawsuit against the organizers of the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia on behalf of people injured at the event.
University legal teams face a wave of legal actions related to protests, with Columbia University also being accused of failing to act against antisemitism on its campus. Columbia University is expected to see its legal fees surge in response to Congressional investigations and lawsuits over their handling of antisemitism complaints, with the school spending more than $30 million per year on legal fees.
Active case details: C.S. v. The Trustees of Columbia Univ. in the City of N.Y., S.D.N.Y., 1:24-cv-03232.