Courtney Bullard
Founder of Institutional Compliance Solutions
Courtney has over ten years of experience representing institutions and organizations in matters involving sexual misconduct, including 8 years as a University system attorney. As in-house counsel, she served as a trusted advisor to the Chancellor, Vice Chancellors, Athletic Director, Director of Office and Equity and Diversity, Title IX Coordinator, Provost and other top level administrators on all legal matters affecting the institution. Her breadth of knowledge and familiarity with the unique aspects of a college campus provide a distinctive approach to partnering with institutions and school districts to assist with their legal needs. She excels in advising clients on all aspects of institutional compliance, including Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization amendments to the Jeanne Clery Act, and specializes in providing legal advice to institutions during sexual misconduct, stalking and relationship violence investigations. Courtney regularly provides Title IX and Clery training to organizations, attorneys, institutions and school districts, serves as an external investigator into allegations of sexual misconduct, and provides expert witness testimony on matters dealing with institutional response to allegations of sexual misconduct, bullying and hazing in litigation.
Courtney is the host of The Law & Higher Ed Podcast and is nationally recognized for her contributions to news media, including the Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, and VICE news on HBO. Courtney is the creator of Title IX University, an on-line digital platform that provides Title IX training.
Courtney received her undergraduate degree from Indiana University in 1998. She graduated from the University of Memphis School of Law in 2001, where she served on the law review as a Comments Editor. Prior to serving as Associate General Counsel for the University of Tennessee, she worked for Baker, Donelson, Bearman & Caldwell and Husch & Eppenberger. Courtney also teaches Business Law as an Adjunct Professor for the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, and Southern New Hampshire University. Courtney is a member of NACUA and Workplace Investigations Group and is recognized as Lawyer of Distinction in Higher Education.
Courtney has two girls, Charlotte (9) and Campbell (13), and two bonus children, Austin (17) and Tyler (14). In her free time, you will find her with her husband, Todd, cheering on their children in all of their events and activities.
Betsy Smith
Director of Title IX Services
Betsy brings a unique skill set to the ICS team, having served as both a student affairs professional and an assistant district attorney. Most recently, she worked for five years as a Director of Student Conduct and Deputy Title IX Coordinator at a large state institution where she conducted and oversaw over 2,000 Title IX and other campus investigations a year. The combination of Betsy’s familiarity with campus life, Title IX, and her background as prosecutor provides for a distinct, trauma informed, approach to her investigations. Betsy also specializes in using and presenting data to inform an institution’s prevention and response efforts in addressing sexual misconduct.
Betsy earned her B.A. in Political Science and Sociology, in 2006, from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she was a member of the Lady Vols Swim Team. She graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2009. She served as an Assistant District Attorney from 2009-2014 and worked at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville from 2014-2019.
Betsy and her husband, Jared have one son, Brogen (6). In her free time, Betsy can be found coaching local high school and middle school swim teams and chauffeuring her son to all his sports practices.
Celeste Bradley
Director of DEI/EEO Services and General Counsel
Celeste has been a labor and employment lawyer for almost two decades, serving as Associate General Counsel at BlueCross BlueShield over their labor and employment division (with over 6,000 employees in offices across Tennessee) and in-house employment counsel for a large trucking company and parking services company. Celeste adds a new dimension to our team, providing diversity training and programming, Title VI, Title VII and other Human Resource Professional training and workplace investigations for the private sector and education institutions. Serving as in-house counsel provided Celeste with valuable experience in the importance of providing efficient and thorough assistance while presenting the information with an understanding of the business needs. She is successful in partnering with companies to develop strategies for success while remaining compliant with applicable laws and regulations. Additionally, she provides union negotiation support from the election process to finalizing the collective bargaining agreement. She also has experience in drafting and implementing pandemic plans and building Crisis Response Team and plans.
Celeste attended the University of Memphis and obtained her Bachelor of Arts in English in 1999. She then attended the University of Tennessee School of Law, graduating in 2003. While in law school, Celeste was President of the Black Law Students Association, received the Dean’s Excellence Award and was selected for the Fredrick Douglas Moot Court team. She moved to Chattanooga in 2003 to begin her career with Shumaker, Witt, Gaither and Whitaker followed by Baker Donelson where she practiced employment law and defense litigation. Celeste served as Associate General Counsel for BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee for thirteen years.
Celeste is married to Drew Bradley and has two sons, Austin (9) and Spencer (12) along with two four-legged daughters, Zoe (a 14 year old Havanese) and Rosie (a 6 month Goldendoodle). She enjoys traveling with her family and being a soccer mom.
Amy Buck
Title IX And Equity Specialist / Attorney
Amy has practiced law for over ten years and has a background in higher education, having served as an acting director of admissions and as a college professor. Since her admission to the bar, Amy has worked in private practice, handling cases ranging from employment and corporate law to personal injury and domestic matters. Most recently, Amy has served as the staff attorney for a local court, where she was responsible for conducting legal research, drafting proposals and orders, compiling data, writing policies, and establishing procedures compliant with law and regulations. In her continuing role as an adjunct college professor, Amy has developed curriculums, served as a department coordinator, and taught courses specific to law and business. Amy brings a unique perspective to the team, having served in various roles at faith-based institutions.
Amy earned her B.S. in Interpersonal and Organizational Communication from Toccoa Falls College in 2004, where she was very involved in campus life, including serving as a resident assistant and traveling with a college choral team. In 2011, Amy graduated from Liberty University School of Law, where she served on the school’s Client Counseling Team and worked in the School of Law Library.
Amy and her husband, Andy, have two boys, Asher (7) and Adam (4). When she is free, Amy loves to spend time at home with her family, decorate her home, read, and binge-watch true crime docuseries.
Brittany Gates
Title IX And Equity Specialist
Brittany has worked in various capacities in the higher education field for the past ten years prior to joining the ICS team. Most recently, Brittany served for three years as the Title IX Coordinator and Director of Student Care at a small private university. In these roles, Brittany focused on developing new systems to increase communication and transparency about Title IX and mental health on campus to enhance trust and safety among the campus community members through training, programming, and conversations. Brittany continues to serve as a part-time college instructor teaching a crisis intervention curriculum that includes education on sexual harassment prevention and response. Prior to her work in Title IX, Brittany served as the Assistant Director of the on-campus Counseling Center and an on-campus clinical mental health provider for seven years. Brittany obtained her professional counseling license in 2014 and practiced as a licensed professional counselor with mental health service provider designation (LPC-MHSP) in the state of Tennessee until 2021 when she retired her license in good standing to pursue work in Title IX. She also has experience working in the community mental health setting and has worked in local juvenile court settings with youth and adolescents needing ongoing support. Her combination of on-the-ground Title IX experience paired with her clinical mental health training lends to her trauma-informed and person-centered approach to this work. Additionally, Brittany brings direct experience in working with faith-based institutions.
Brittany earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Lee University in 2009, where she was a student-athlete on the softball team. She earned her Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling in 2011 with internship and work experiences during graduate school focused on a youth and adolescent demographic including working part-time at an elementary school.
Brittany and her husband, Chris, have two kids, Bryson (9) and Brooklyn (7). Most of her free time is spent shuttling her kids and their friends around to various sporting events. She coaches softball in the local rec league, loves a good board game, and always has room for dessert.
Stephanie Ray
Title IX And Equity Specialist / Attorney
Stephanie is a recent graduate of Western Michigan Thomas M. Cooley Law School- Tampa Bay where she graduated cum laude. During law school, Stephanie was an Associate Editor of the Law Review, the Vice President of the Black Law Student Association, and an active member of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
Since joining ICS in 2021, Stephanie has performed extensive research, collaborated on training development, and developed various compliance aids.
Prior to law school, Stephanie worked as a career counselor in Boston Public Schools and worked at various educational nonprofits developing mentoring programs for high school students. Stephanie also holds a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and Latin American Studies from Mount Holyoke College, graduating in 2014.
Stephanie is married to Michael DiDomizio and is a dedicated cat mom to her rescue cat Zoey. When she’s not working, Stephanie loves to listen to podcasts, cook, and go on road trips with Michael.
Michaela Bland
Title IX Specialist / Attorney
Michaela comes to the ICS team from being a civil litigator with significant experience in education law, nonprofit law, and business litigation. She brings a unique perspective to the team, having overseen Title IX compliance and investigations for K-12 schools. She is also the recipient of the prestigious Skadden Fellowship, a two-year program to practice public interest law on a full-time basis, during which time she focused on matters related to education law, specifically the school-to-prison pipeline and special education, and legislation. The combination of Michaela’s experience with K-12 schools and her knowledge of special education allows her to navigate the nuances of complex federal and state laws, while advising clients in a clear and concise manner.
Michaela earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Ithaca College in 2016, where she was part of several dance groups and was the Assistant Director of Dance at the Trumansburg Conservatory of Fine Arts. She then attended Roger Williams University School of Law, graduating in 2019. While in law school, Michaela was a member of the Law Review and Moot Court, as well as the Event Coordinator for the Association for Public Interest.
Michaela lives with her partner Chris and enjoys cooking, dancing, and spending time on the water.
