Protecting Access:
Navigating Admissions Law While Staying True to Mission
Featured Session: Tuesday, July 28
2:45-3:45PM ET
In one of the most legally complex moments in the history of college admission counseling, knowing where the line is, and staying on the right side of it, has never mattered more. This session cuts through the noise of competing claims about what the law requires, drawing on verified case law, recent federal enforcement actions, and court decisions through 2026 to give participants a clear and accurate picture of the current landscape. Presenter Caroline Laguerre-Brown, J.D., founder and CEO of Designing Equity, LLC and a former Vice Provost and Chief Diversity Officer at Johns Hopkins University and The George Washington University, brings nearly two decades of practitioner experience to a framework that is both legally grounded and mission-centered. Participants will leave with a concrete understanding of what has genuinely changed, what the courts have pushed back on, and what admission professionals can still do: lawfully, strategically, and with purpose.
Caroline Laguerre-Brown
Principal and CEO
Designing Equity, LLC
Caroline Laguerre-Brown is the Principal and CEO of Designing Equity, LLC, a consulting firm focused on higher education. She brings extensive legal and compliance expertise, particularly in diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-discrimination policy. Caroline has led the development of institutional policies, educational programs, and risk management strategies for national associations, universities, and corporations. A skilled facilitator, she trains leaders and teams on sexual harassment prevention, unconscious bias, and inclusive leadership, and supports executives in crisis communication and reputational risk management.
Caroline previously served as Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity, and Community Engagement at George Washington University, overseeing key student-facing departments and leading major reforms to the university’s sexual harassment and diversity policies. Before that, she was Vice Provost and Chief Diversity Officer at Johns Hopkins University, where she launched essential training initiatives and diversity programs.
She currently serves as an External Board Member of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) and recently completed her term as Chair of the Board of the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA). She holds degrees from SUNY Binghamton and the University of Virginia School of Law.