About the Instructors

Leigh Cole is a shareholder and director of Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew, P.C., in Burlington, Vermont. A member of the firm's Higher Education practice group, she represents colleges and universities in immigration and compliance matters. She is a Senior Editor of the Immigration and Nationality Law Handbook published annually by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). She earned a J.D. from Albany Law School of Union University in 1991, where she served as editor-in-chief of the Albany Law Review. She holds a B.A. from Cornell University in 1985 in government and agricultural trade policy.

Michael Pfahl currently works as the Associate University Counsel for Kent State University. His primary areas of law are employment, administrative and contract, immigration and international law and university policy development. Currently, Mr. Pfahl assists the Office of the Provost with study abroad operations and legal issues in Italy, Switzerland, and China, as well as contracting issues with foreign universities and agents. In addition, he provides further legal assistance in the establishment and implementation of university standards for study abroad. Mr. Pfahl also handles the visa and permanent residency issues for international employees. He is also certified in Human Resource Studies by the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations.