Jessica Payne

Jessica Payne has been selected as the University's distinguished Husch Blackwell Higher Education Law Fellow and joins the General Counsel team as of June 2026. Jessica holds a J.D. from the University of Minnesota School of Law. Prior to law school, Jessica served as Assistant Director in the Office of Community Standards at Northwestern University where she gained valuable experience working closely alongside Title IX and the Office of the General Counsel. Jessica also had the great experience of working with Husch Blackwell's Higher Education team during her time at Northwestern. While in law school, Jessica worked with private firms and in-house counsel to understand the unique needs of both environments. As a result, Jessica brings a wide array of higher education law experiences with her and will take no time at all becoming a valued part of the General Counsel team.