Amanda
Orcutt

Amanda is an employment and education law attorney who counsels clients on a wide range of issues. After over a decade of experience at large, national firms, Amanda joined Shults Law Firm in 2023 to provide more tailored and personal service to local and regional clients in and around Arkansas. 

With over a decade of experience representing educational institutions, Amanda counsels colleges, universities, and other schools on investigations, litigation, and regulatory matters that cover the gamut of compliance challenges, including those relating to Title IX, Title VII, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Clery Act. She also advises educational institutions on issues related to student affairs, employee misconduct, minors on campus, harassment, and discrimination, among other issues. Amanda has extensive experience serving as a hearing officer, decision-maker, and advisor under the 2020 Title IX regulations. She also provides trainings to institutions on Title IX and other compliance areas.

Amanda also advises employers on a broad range of employment matters. She represents employers in state and federal court litigation, internal investigations, and administrative proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Amanda is a trusted advisor to employers on a vast array of employment-related issues, including employment and separation agreements, restrictive covenants (non-competition and non-solicitation), independent contractor classification, and day-to-day human resource compliance, such as hiring and firing, employment training, disability accommodation, and Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) compliance. In addition, Amanda assists clients in ensuring that their employment policies and practices comply with industry standards. 

Amanda also specializes in high-stakes internal investigations related to employee misconduct, harassment and discrimination, retaliation, sexual misconduct, and other sensitive issues. Amanda conducts investigations in both privileged and non-privileged settings, provides written reports, and assists decision-makers in addressing investigative findings and creating corrective actions plans. Amanda also conducts climate assessments for educational institutions and employers interested in assessing their environment to address issues related to equity and inclusion, safety, and other issues.

Prior to joining Shults Law Firm, Amanda served as Senior Counsel at Husch Blackwell LLP in the firm’s highly-regarded Education practice group, where she counseled clients nationwide. Before that, Amanda was Counsel in the Little Rock office of Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, PLLC, where she focused on employment and education law. Amanda also spent many years as an attorney with Holland & Knight LLP’s employment and education law teams in Boston, Massachusetts.  

Amanda graduated first in her class at Syracuse University College of Law and was the Editor-in Chief of the Syracuse Law Review. Before law school, Amanda was an Education Volunteer in the Peace Corps in Niger. Amanda lives in Little Rock with her husband and two young sons.