About Ian
Ian McRary built a career at the intersection of law and higher education. He began his academic journey at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, earning a B.A. in history in 2007. He took his law degree from the University of Alabama in 2011 and later returned to the academy for a master’s in higher education at Appalachian State University in 2014.
His practice path mixes private practice and in-house university work. He opened the Ian M. McRary Law Office, P.L.L.C., in 2011, and has maintained roles that move between campus legal departments and his own firm. In 2015 he served as a Title IX investigator at Baylor University. The following year he joined Liberty University as senior legal counsel, a role that involved counseling on campus policy and regulatory matters. In 2023 he worked as university counsel for Tennessee Technological University. In 2024 he established McRary Law and now operates that office in North Carolina.
Those roles shaped the kinds of matters he handles. His background includes Title IX investigations and compliance work, institutional policy development, and routine counseling for academic institutions. His time at both private law practice and university counsel positions means he has experience advising administrators and representing institutional interests in internal proceedings. He also works on issues that touch on religious institutions and higher education, reflected in his professional affiliations.
McRary maintains memberships in organizations that connect religion and law. He is a member of the Christian Legal Society, listed as an allied lawyer with the Alliance Defending Freedom, described as a valued partner by the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, and holds membership in the National Association of College & University Attorneys. Those associations inform the network he draws on in campus-related legal questions, regulatory compliance, and disputes that involve institutional religious considerations.
Colleagues and clients who have worked with him describe a pragmatic approach to campus legal problems. He balances the procedural demands of investigations and hearings with the policy work that universities require. He practices in North Carolina and continues to handle matters arising from higher education governance, Title IX, and related institutional legal issues. He currently concentrates his practice on higher education law and adjacent matters involving campus policy and religious institutional concerns.
