Melissa J. Mitchell
Columbus Office
Ms. Mitchell is Of Counsel in the Vorys Columbus office and a member of the labor and employment practice. She works with trade associations, hospitals, schools, behavioral health agencies, and colleges. Her areas of expertise include administrative certification and licensure, investigations, hearings and rulemaking, healthcare law, including information privacy and security, the provision of services to minors, foster care, access to public records, corporate compliance, public health and child welfare funding, community schools, and special education law.
Her notable experience includes:
- Founding a nonprofit shelter program for battered women and their families
- Obtaining certification as an information privacy professional specializing in government issues
Ms. Mitchell is a member of the American Health Lawyers Association, the International Association of Privacy Professionals, the Columbus Bar Association, and Leadership Columbus.
Ms. Mitchell has presented seminars on numerous topics, including compliance issues for nonprofit organizations, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), regional health information organizations, public records, special education law, confidentiality of medical and healthcare records, school child abuse and neglect investigative records, adoption and foster care, and legal strategies for social workers and counselors. She has presented before Corporate Pro Bono, the National Center for Adoption Law & Policy, the Ohio Continuing Legal Education Institute, the National Youth Advocate Program, the Ohio Family Care Association, the Youth Forum, Voices for Ohio’s Children, the Public Children Services Association of Ohio, Capital University Law School, The Ohio State University Moritz School of Law, The Ohio State University Alumni Society of Health Services Management & Policy School of Public Health, the Supreme Court of Ohio Judicial College, the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association, the Ohio Council of Behavioral Healthcare Providers, and the Ohio Child Welfare Training Program.
Before joining Vorys, Ms. Mitchell served as an Assistant Ohio Attorney General in the Charitable Foundations and Civil Rights Sections from 1986 to 1989, the Assistant Director of the Children’s Defense Fund-Ohio in 1990, and as General Counsel for Franklin County Children Services from 1991 to 2001.
Ms. Mitchell received her J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law and her B.A. from Denison University.
Publications
- “Ohio Nonprofit Organizations,” June 2007 (Clinic in a Box Pilot Program publication)
Professional and Community Activities
- Healthcare/Pharma KnowledgeLink for the International Association of Privacy Professionals, Co-Chair, 2006-present
- IAPP Educational Advisory Board, 2006-present
- The Council for Healthy Mothers and Babies, Board of Trustees, 2003-present
- Ohio United Way, Board of Trustees, 2003-2006
- Leadership Columbus, Class of 2005
- Ohio Youth Advocate Program, Board of Trustees, 1993-1995
- Friends of the Homeless, Board of Trustees, 1992-1994
Teaching/Speaking Engagements
- Deciphering Practice and Privacy Puzzles Common to Behavioral Health Providers, Sept. 24, 2007