Lawyers New to Higher Education Online Course

Dr. Eric T. Butler, a member of Bricker Graydon’s Higher Education team, advises colleges and universities on compliance, governance, accreditation, and policy development, bringing a deep understanding of institutional operations and regulatory frameworks. Eric has extensive experience in higher education law, civil rights, administrative law, and public policy.

Prior to joining the firm, Eric served as Associate General Counsel to the Secretary of the Air Force, where he was the Air Force General Counsel’s lead counsel to the U.S. Air Force Academy. In that role, he advised senior leadership on academic program development, athletics, government ethics, fiscal law, and legislative policy. He also played a key role in facilitating major institutional initiatives, including the $90 million renovation of Falcon Stadium and the development of federal administrative policy on copyright for academy civilian faculty members.

Eric also previously served as Assistant Attorney General for Higher Education in Colorado, where he provided legal counsel to public postsecondary institutions, focusing on Title IX compliance, civil rights, and litigation. Additionally, he has held leadership positions at John Carroll University and the University of Denver, where he oversaw Title IX compliance, developed institutional policies, and led strategic initiatives on gender equity.

Eric earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education from Texas Tech University, his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Northern Kentucky University, and his Bachelor of Arts in International Politics, summa cum laude, from The University of Akron. His insights on higher education law and policy have appeared in publications such as The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, and Colorado Public Radio. 

Melissa Carleton is Partner and Higher Education Chair at Bricker Graydon Wyatt LLP. She is also the Vice President for Education and a Senior Consultant with her firm’s affiliate, INCompliance Consulting.   

As an attorney for colleges and universities, she handles matters involving student affairs, student conduct, disability accommodations, student confidentiality, policies, contracts, governance, accreditation, and employment matters. She takes a practical proactive approach to legal issues and much prefers training thoughtfully at the outset over “expensive professional development” (also known as litigation and OCR investigations). Melissa has a special interest in civil rights law, and in particulate Title IX. As a consultant, she conducts impartial investigations, hearings, and compliance reviews under both the 2020 and 2024 Title IX regulations. She is a regular speaker at national conferences, a guest speaker in academic settings, and a strong supporter of NACUA’s collegial educational community. 

Melissa has a Bachelor’s in Music Education from The Ohio State University, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. She lives in Upper Arlington, Ohio with her husband (also a lawyer), two children, two dogs, two cats, and a leopard gecko. The gecko is the only one that doesn’t cause any trouble. 

Phil Catanzano is co-founder of Education & Sports Law Group. Prior to starting Education & Sports Law Group, Phil was Senior Counsel at Holland & Knight for seven years and an attorney at the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights for almost a decade before that, where he investigated institutions accused of discrimination on the basis of disability, gender, or race/ethnicity, among others. 

Phil’s practice includes advising institutions with regard to disability law issues on campus (including digital accessibility), helping institutions comply with the federal laws around gender and racial/ethnic equity, and maintaining a safe campus. Phil serves on the faculty at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, where he teaches courses regarding higher education law, disability law, and the intersection of speech and harassment.

Jim Cox has been an Associate General Counsel / Patent Attorney at Rice University since July 2018. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan College of Engineering (B.S.M.E. 1987) and a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School (J.D. 1990). He is a member of the State Bar of Texas (2013), State Bar of Michigan (1990), and is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (1991). He is a member of NACUA, AUTM, and the Intellectual Property Law Sections of the Michigan State Bar and Texas State Bar.

Prior to joining the Office of General Counsel at Rice, he was an Assistant General Counsel / Patent Attorney at the University of Texas System’s Office of General Counsel, at various intellectual property law firms, and in-house at General Motors’ IP section, specializing in intellectual property law. He has also been an adjunct faculty member at the Ave Maria School of law and has served as an Armor Officer in the United States Army, deploying to Bosnia-Herzegovia as a Platoon Leader in the 1st Armored Division during Operation Joint Endeavor. He is a licensed pilot, a PADI certified Rescue diver and an amateur thespian (from lead to extra) in several community theater productions. His principal areas of practice at Rice are intellectual property, patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, technology licensing, information technology, research integrity, research security, and sponsored research. Jim is an Associate of Will Rice College.

Thomas Dorer, General Counsel for Suffolk University, has been a NACUA member since 1993. Tom previously served as a principal at Jackson Lewis and co-lead of the firm’s national higher education group; vice president, general counsel and secretary at the University of Hartford; general counsel at West Virginia University; associate counsel at the University of Massachusetts; an associate in the higher education practice of Dow, Lohnes & Albertson; and law clerk to the Hon. Anne E. Thompson of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. Before becoming a lawyer, Tom worked in student affairs at Ohio University and Brown University. An active volunteer for NACUA, he was a member of the NACUA Board (2015-2018 term), has served on various committees, and has been a speaker and moderator on a range of topics for NACUA and other higher education and legal organizations. Tom was a member of the General Counsel Board of Advisors for the NCAA from 2004-2007 and from 2011-2016. He received a BA from Brown University, an EdM from Harvard University and a JD from the University of California, Berkeley.

Toby Eveland is the Chicago Managing Partner at Manley Burke LPA and leads the firm’s higher education practice, advising colleges and universities on complex legal and regulatory challenges that affect modern campuses. Drawing on extensive litigation experience, Eveland helps institutions navigate high-stakes matters including Title VI, VII, and IX claims, civil rights and ADA disputes, government investigations, and complex civil and class action cases. He works closely with university leadership to address issues such as student conduct, faculty disputes, compliance audits, and crisis response involving incidents like hazing, discrimination claims, or catastrophic campus events. Eveland and the Manley Burke team also counsel institutions on regulatory compliance, intellectual property and technology issues, data privacy, and institutional governance– providing strategic, practical guidance that allows colleges and universities to manage risk while staying focused on their academic mission.

Bill Ferreira is a Partner with Hogan Lovells and heads the firm’s Global Government Contracts and Higher Education Practice. Bill advises universities on international programs, government grants and contracts, and research compliance. Bill works on federal award compliance and investigations, domestically and internationally. He guides organizations across the compliance landscape, advising on research security, cost accounting, research misconduct, human subjects, False Claims Act matters, and compliance with the OMB Uniform Guidance and Federal Acquisition Regulation. Drawing on deep experience with global operations, Bill has guided campuses in Asia, research in Africa, and degree programs in the Middle East. His work extends to online education and telemedicine programs around the world. Bill has guided many of the most dynamic research, development, and academic sites across the globe, including significant projects in the Global South and the Persian Gulf.

Stephanie Gold heads the firm’s widely recognized national and international Education practice. For over 20 years she has worked with universities, colleges, independent schools, education associations, education companies, and investors to solve a range of legal and regulatory challenges. No matter the context – counseling, transactions, litigation, or government investigations – Stephanie brings to bear her extensive knowledge of legal and regulatory requirements pertinent to education sector clients. Stephanie helps clients navigate rules and procedures related to student financial aid, veterans education benefits, military tuition assistance, accreditation, and education licensure.

Stephanie advises clients on compliance with nondiscrimination laws, campus security requirements, and privacy and data security laws. Stephanie is attuned to education sector dynamics and is current with federal education policy developments. With their mission and culture in mind, she guides clients through distance education initiatives, mergers and acquisitions, cross-border transactions, overseas activities, and institutional reorganizations. Stephanie counsels on faculty and student matters, voluntary disclosures to the government, and policy and procedure development. Stephanie works to resolve enforcement matters with an approach that fosters positive relationships with regulators. 

Stephanie is an active member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys. Stephanie regularly speaks and writes on higher education law developments. She was Editor in Chief of the University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform, and she served as a law clerk to the Honorable Cornelia G. Kennedy of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Anil Gollahalli is Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of the Big Ten Conference. In his role, Gollahalli oversees all legal, corporate governance, enterprise risk management, litigation, regulatory, corporate, and legal NCAA matters, as well as outside counsel management.

With a breadth of diversified legal and engineering expertise, along with broad on-campus experience at both the institutional and athletics levels, he spearheads the conference’s legal and strategic efforts for innovating and shaping the dynamic collegiate landscape. He is considered among the foremost experts in the issues facing college athletic programs today, including name, image, and likeness issues, related federal and state legislative issues, and the changing role of media and streaming rights.

Gollahalli works collaboratively with the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors, the athletics directors, and the general counsels at all conference member institutions and serves as a strategic advisor to Big Ten Conference Commissioner Petitti and the conference member institutions.

Gollahalli joined the conference from the University of Oklahoma (OU), where he served as Vice President and General Counsel for more than 14 years, advising the Board of Regents and the institutions within the OU system. Additionally, he served as an adjunct professor of sports law and played a leadership role in the Oklahoma Board of Regents’ unanimous vote to enter the Southeastern Conference.

Prior to serving as OU General Counsel, Gollahalli was the Vice President for technology development at the university, managing all intellectual property assets for the university. He also practiced law in Dallas, working extensively in the intellectual property fields, and served as law clerk to the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma.

Gollahalli received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering with a minor in political science from the University of Oklahoma and a juris doctorate from the University of Chicago. Gollahalli served on the Board of Directors for the National Association of College and University Attorneys, is active in the Sports Lawyers Association, is currently barred in Texas and Oklahoma, and is licensed to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

John Graff, a partner in HRW’s education and litigation practice groups, is a nationally recognized higher education attorney with extensive experience advising colleges and universities on matters unique to higher education, including Title IX compliance, investigations and litigation; representation in United States Department of Education Clery Act compliance reviews and OCR investigations; and all matters related to student affairs operations.

John also provides operations consulting to campus law enforcement agencies throughout the country concerning all aspects of police operations. John frequently collaborates with higher education industry trade organizations and clients throughout the country to provide Clery Act, Title IX, and campus law enforcement policy development. In addition, John provides counsel and training to college and university attorneys, administrators, and police officers.

In 2014, John’s work on Clery and Title IX matters earned him the honor of being selected to serve on an advisory committee to two delegates from the National Association of College and University Attorneys participating in the federal negotiated rule making process concerning the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (“VAWA”) regulations. Following publication of the VAWA regulations, John served on a committee advising those same delegates regarding updates to the United States Department of Education’s Handbook for Campus Safety and Security Reporting (2016 Edition).

In addition to his higher education practice, John is an experienced trial attorney, representing clients in non-compete and trade secret disputes, defending against employment claims, litigating fiduciary and probate matters, litigating breach of contract and consumer protection claims, and defending institutions against personal injury claims. In 2019, John started HRW’s Higher Ground podcast – the first podcast focusing solely on legal issues in higher education. Episodes are available on both iTunes and Spotify.

Janet P. Judge is the co-founder of the Education & Sports Law Group and a five-time peer-selected sport lawyer of the year (Best Lawyers). With more than 30 years of experience serving the needs of higher education clients, Janet regularly advises schools and conferences at the NCAA Division I, II, and III levels regarding a broad spectrum of civil rights and intercollegiate sports law matters. PerhapsJanet P. Judge is the co-founder of the Education & Sports Law Group and a five-time peer-selected Sport Lawyer of the Year (Best Lawyers). With more than 30 years of experience serving the needs of higher education clients, Janet regularly advises schools and conferences at the NCAA Division I, II, and III levels regarding a broad spectrum of civil rights and intercollegiate sports law matters.

Best known for her Title IX athletic equity work having been involved substantively in many of the significant Title IX athletics litigation matters to date, Janet brings a deep bench of very relevant legal and sports experience when advising schools. She has worked as an antitrust, employment and labor law litigator, program investigator, NCAA D1 athletics administrator, NCAA D1 compliance director, NCAA D1 and DIII intercollegiate coach, and three-sport NCAA DI athlete. In addition to her law practice, Janet is an accomplished public speaker and regularly presents on higher education and sports law developments relevant to school presidents, sports administrators, FARs, coaches, medical personnel, and student-athletes, including at NACUA, NCAA, NACDA, Sports Lawyers, Women Leaders, Fraternal Law, ACE, AASCU, and NACUBO events.

Janet is a graduate of Harvard College and Boston University School of Law, and a former law clerk for Judge Stahl on the First Circuit Court of Appeals. In 2022, Franklin Pierce University presented Janet with an Honorary Doctorate in recognition of her civil rights, sports, and higher education work. An active and enthusiastic NACUA member since 2004, Janet serves on the Association’s BACDI (Chair) and Annual Conference Programming (member) Committees. She is a former NACUA board member, Title IX Coordinator course online instructor, and recipient of the organization’s Distinguished Service and First Decade Awards. best known for her Title IX athletic equity work having been involved substantively in many of the significant Title IX athletics litigation matters to date, Janet brings a deep bench of very relevant legal and sports experience when advising schools. She has worked as an antitrust, employment and labor law litigator, program investigator, NCAA D1 athletics administrator, NCAA D1 compliance director, NCAA D1 and DIII intercollegiate coach, and competed as a three-sport NCAA DI athlete. In addition to her law practice, Janet is an accomplished public speaker and regularly presents on higher education and sports law developments relevant to school presidents, sports administrators, FARs, coaches, medical personnel, and student-athletes, including at NACUA, NCAA, NACDA, Sports Lawyers, Women Leaders, Fraternal Law, ACE, AASCU, and NACUBO events. 

Janet is a graduate of Harvard College and Boston University School of Law. Following law school, Janet clerked for Judge Stahl on the First Circuit Court of Appeals. In 2022, Janet was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Franklin Pierce University in recognition of her civil rights, sports, and higher education work. An active NACUA member since 2004, Janet is a former NACUA Board Member. She currently serves on NACUA’s BACDI (Chair) and Annual Conference Programming (member) Committees. She is recipient of NACUA’s Distinguished Service and First Decade Awards. 

Clients turn to Dan because he is an outstanding litigator and a trusted advisor on employment, higher education, and other issues. His deep knowledge of employment law and higher education, exceptional judgment, and strategic advice enable clients to achieve their goals. Colleges and universities, businesses, and other clients rely on Dan’s proven litigation experience and proactive counsel on myriad issues, including: discrimination and harassment; hiring, disciplining and terminating employees; retaliation; disability; wage and hour; and litigation avoidance. Dan’s work is regularly honored by regional and national ranking organizations. He is recognized by Chambers USA as a Leading Labor & Employment Lawyer, holds an AV® (preeminent/highest) rating from Martindale-Hubbell®, and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America (2012-present), Midwest’s Best Lawyers (2021-prsent), Illinois Super Lawyers (2006-present), and Chicago’s Top-Rated Lawyers (Chicago Tribune and Wall Street Journal).

Dan’s passion for service also includes serving as a Highland Park, IL City Councilperson (2011-2021). The Judges of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association recognized Dan’s dedication to service with the “Award for Excellence in Pro Bono Service” in 2010.

Dan also has held various leadership roles at Michael Best, including currently serving as Chair of the Higher Education Group, previously serving as Chair of the Labor & Employment Relations Group and as a member of the Management Committee, and serving twice as the Managing Partner of the Chicago Office. Dan served as Law Clerk to the Honorable Charles L. Levin, Michigan Supreme Court, from Fall 1986 to Fall 1987.

Martha Kim joined Stanford’s Office of General Counsel in April 2024 where she primarily advises on faculty affairs (including employment matters related to faculty), immigration/visas, research misconduct, political activities and litigation. Prior to joining Stanford, Martha served as Senior Principal Counsel at the University of California Office of the President where she advised on a wide variety of labor and employment matters, including graduate student unionization, work authorization/immigration, medical leaves, disability accommodation and faculty matters. Martha also served as Associate General Counsel at Rutgers University, the State University of New Jersey, where she handled labor and employment matters before state and federal court and various governmental agencies. Prior to practicing in higher education, Martha was Associate Deputy General Counsel at the United States Department of Defense in Washington, D.C. where she advised the Office of the Secretary of Defense with regard to detention policy matters and litigation involving habeas petitions, national security law, international law and constitutional and statutory law. Upon graduating from law school, Martha worked at Dewey Ballantine LLP and at the Southern Poverty Law Center, focusing on commercial and civil rights litigation.

Martha received a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley in 1999 and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 2003. Martha is admitted to the state bars of New Jersey, California and to the United States Supreme Court.

Art M. Lee was appointed Stony Brook University chief campus counsel effective January 15, 2026.

Lee has nearly 30 years of higher education experience, previously at the University of Arizona where he oversaw the legal portfolio of a major public R1 institution, including its academic medical center.

As a member of the SUNY Office of General Counsel, Lee reports to the University President and SUNY’s senior vice chancellor for legal affairs and general counsel. Lee supervises the SUNY Stony Brook University Office of General Counsel (OGC) regional office, which provides legal services to the campus as well as to Stony Brook Medicine and its health sciences schools and hospitals and the Long Island State Veterans Home in collaboration with campus partners and external stakeholders.

While at the University of Arizona, Lee served for more than a decade in the Office of the General Counsel as the deputy general counsel and since 2021 as the vice president and deputy general counsel. He advised university leadership across a broad spectrum of complex legal and administrative matters. His leadership responsibilities included providing counsel to the University of Arizona Health Sciences, one of the premier academic medical centers in the southwestern United States.

Prior to the University of Arizona, Lee served in general counsel positions at Arizona State University and the University of Colorado. He received his JD from the University of Colorado School of Law and his BA in Politics, Economics, Rhetoric and Law from the University of Chicago.

Xinning Shirley Liu is the President of XL Law and Consulting PA, where she concentrates her practice on higher education and international law. She regularly advises higher education institutions on operating educational activities in China. Shirley has experience implementing a wide array of international programs and has advised on a variety of regulatory and transactional matters. She also assists clients in the strategic design and implementation of their global portfolios and helps address local compliance concerns, from labor and IP, to taxation and data privacy matters.    Shirley formerly worked in-house at the Office of the General Counsel at Florida International University. Before that, she clerked at the US Securities Exchange Commission and practiced in the Corporate, Securities, and Tax Group of Carlton Fields.    A current member of the NACUA Board of Directors and a First Decade Award recipient, Shirley has authored multiple publications and volunteered for different NACUA committees, including the Committee on Program for Annual Conference, Committee on Membership and Member Services, Committee on Legal Education, and the NACUANOTES Editorial Board. An advocate of diversity and equity issues in higher education, she also serves on the NACUA Board Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusivity. Additionally, she leads the Asian American/Pacific Islander Attorneys Affinity Group and the China Activities and Programs Affinity Group.    Shirley is a frequent speaker on issues related to international higher education at NACUA, the Association of International Educators (NAFSA), the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA), and EDUCAUSE conferences. Additionally, Shirley is a member of the Florida Bar, where she serves on the Education Law Committee, International Law Section, Business Law Section, and Government Law Section.    Born in China, Shirley is fluent in Mandarin and Fujianese. She received her BA and BBA from the University of Miami, and her JD from the University of Florida. She was a former Fulbright scholar to China in the areas of law and economic development, and a National Security Education Program (NSEP) Boren Scholar to Beijing and Hong Kong.

Steven J. McDonald was General Counsel at Rhode Island School of Design from 2002 until his retirement in 2021 and previously served as Associate Legal Counsel at The Ohio State University. He is the editor of The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act: A Legal Compendium; the author of articles on FERPA for the Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Education, and other publications; and a frequent speaker on FERPA. He began his legal career at Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue, where he represented CompuServe in Cubby v. CompuServe, the first online libel case, and he also has taught courses in Internet law at Ohio State’s College of Law and at Capital University Law School. He also is a Fellow and past member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of College and University Attorneys and a recipient of its Distinguished Service Award. He received his A.B. from Duke University and his J.D. from the Yale Law School. In State, ex rel. Thomas v. The Ohio State University, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that he really is a lawyer.

Alexandra A. Mitropoulos is Counsel at Nixon Peabody, where she advises and represents colleges and universities on issues ranging from contract negotiations to complex student discipline, internal investigations, tenure issues, and federal regulatory compliance, among others. Prior to joining Nixon Peabody, she was Senior Counsel at boutique firm in Boston representing institutions of higher education, including serving as Deputy General Counsel for Berklee College of Music for nearly nine years. Earlier roles include Law Clerk in Northeastern University’s Office of General Counsel and Legal Intern at the US Department of Education Office of Civil Rights. 

An active member since joining NACUA in 2016, Alexandra has served nearly a decade on the Committee on Program for Annual Conference. She is also currently serving terms on the Committee on Strategic Planning as Vice Chair and the Board Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusivity. Alexandra has also served as a speaker, moderator, or discussion leader for many NACUA programs and is currently an instructor for the Conducting Effective Internal Investigations online course. In 2025, she received the NACUA First Decade Award. 

Alexandra received her JD, MA in Higher Education Administration, and BA in English from Boston College. 

Olabisi “Bisi” Okubadejo currently serves as Associate Vice President of Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, and Compliance at Georgetown University. Prior to transitioning to Georgetown, Bisi was Of Counsel at Ballard Spahr LLP, where her practice focused on civil rights and employment issues in higher education, particularly on matters arising from alleged discrimination on the basis of race, disability, religion, age, and sex, including sexual harassment and sexual violence. She has experience both as an attorney in private practice and as a supervisory attorney with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Ms. Okubadejo has advised colleges and universities on their compliance with federal laws, including Title IX, the ADA, Section 504, the Clery Act, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination Act, FERPA, and Title VII. She has experience working with educational institutions and business entities on digital accessibility issues, including compliance with government settlement agreements and ensuring the accessibility of websites and course materials. Ms. Okubadejo’s experience includes providing interactive training on civil rights issues to coordinators, administrators, hearing panels/judicial boards, campus safety departments, and students. She also has significant experience conducting and overseeing internal investigations and program reviews of higher education institutions and other employers, and auditing policies and procedures.

Laurence Pendleton, J.D., serves as the Deputy General Counsel at Loyola Marymount University, providing legal services to the President, Board of Trustees, Senior Leadership Team, and other administrators and members of the University community.

At LMU, Mr. Pendleton also drafts and reviews contracts and policies, conducts training sessions on various topics, and advises on faculty affairs and student affairs, litigation management, constitutional, real estate and intellectual property matters, and other matters.

Prior to joining LMU, Mr. Pendleton served as the General Counsel and Secretary to the Board of Trustees at Tennessee State University (TSU), where he provided legal services to the President, Board of Trustees, Senior Leadership Team, and other administrators and members of the University community. Mr. Pendleton advised institutional administrators and the Board of Trustees on various legal issues, and represented TSU in civil matters and administrative/enforcement proceedings, and provided litigation support.

Before commencing his work at TSU, Mr. Pendleton was a member of the General Counsel’s office at the Tennessee Board of Regents where he advised system institutions on various legal matters and served as the chief legal officer for specified system colleges.

Mr. Pendleton also worked as an in-house lawyer in the Office of General Counsel for the Colorado State University System, advising the governing board and CSU and CSU-Pueblo administrators on a variety of legal issues, overseeing the CSU System’s litigation matters, and acting as primary legal counsel to CSU-Pueblo. In addition, Mr. Pendleton worked as a litigation attorney in the Denver office of an international law firm, Holme Roberts and Owen (now Bryan Cave LLP), and served for several years as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Denver College of Law.

Mr. Pendleton received his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from the University of Kansas and was awarded his Juris Doctorate from University of Iowa.

Karen Petrulakis has served as the General Counsel of Wellesley College in Massachusetts since 2017. In this position, she is responsible for the overall vision and strategy for the legal affairs of the College. She is a member of the Senior Leadership Team and provides legal advice and counsel to the President, Board of Trustees, and other members of the College community on a broad range of legal matters. In addition, Karen supervises the director of risk management and the secretary of the board and has significant responsibility for crisis management and enterprise risk management.

Karen previously served the University of California system as Chief Deputy General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel for Litigation, a role that included overseeing litigation across the University of California system’s ten campuses. Prior to joining the University of California in 2011, Karen was a partner in Crowell & Moring LLP’s San Francisco office, where her practice included complex commercial litigation and employment litigation and counseling for corporate clients, public entities and universities.

Karen served on NACUA’s Board of Directors from 2018-2021, and currently serves as the Vice-Chair of NACUA’s Committee on the Program for the Annual Conference. Karen has previously served as Chair of NACUA’s Strategic Planning Committee, as Vice Chair of NACUA’s Committee on Board Operations, and as a member of NACUA’s Committees on Honors and Awards, Nominations and Elections, and the Program for the Annual Conference. Karen served as Chair of the Advisory Committee for the BBA’s Higher Education Legal Conference in 2023, and as a Member of the Advisory Committee for the BBA’s Higher Education Legal Conference in 2020, 2024 and 2025. Karen was Co-Chair of the Steering Committee for the BBA’s College and University Law Section in 2022-2024, has been a member of that committee since 2018. Massachusetts Lawyers’ Weekly recently honored Karen as a 2025 Leader in the Law, In-House Icon.

Karen holds a B.A. in History, with high honors, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of California, Berkeley and a J.D. from Stanford Law School.

Jessica Price joined the UO in September 2017. She came to the University of Oregon from UCLA, where she worked as the interim Title IX coordinator and special assistant to the vice chancellor for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at UCLA. Jessica also spent six years working as a staff attorney for the ACLU of Southern California, litigating cases related to disability rights, education equity, and arguing due process and First Amendment cases in state trial court, federal district court, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Before joining the ACLU, she clerked for the Honorable Eldon E. Fallon in US District Court in New Orleans and the Honorable Dorothy Nelson with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena.

Jessica holds a BA from Yale University, where she graduated with honors, and a JD from Harvard Law School, where she was editor and executive board member of the Civil Rights, Civil Liberties Law Review and a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Scholar. She has served as a violence prevention specialist with Peace Over Violence and as president of the board of directors for the Salvadoran American Leadership and Educational Fund. She is fluent in Spanish, proficient in Portuguese, and is working on her Mandarin Chinese.

Stephanie Rosenberg serves as Deputy General Counsel for the University of Arizona, where she leads the business affairs legal team covering transactions, contracting, real estate, construction, research, intellectual property, and related compliance matters. Her current practice focuses on complex transactional matters affecting the University. Prior to joining the University, Ms. Rosenberg served as General Counsel to the Humble Independent School District in Texas, advising academic leadership and the governing board on a broad range of legal and regulatory matters. Earlier in her career, she practiced in the Corporate Reorganization & Restructuring section of Bracewell LLP, focusing on federal bankruptcy litigation and appeals. Ms. Rosenberg holds a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and a J.D., magna cum laude, from Villanova University School of Law, where she served as Editor‑in‑Chief of the Villanova Law Review. Ms. Rosenberg values her volunteer work with NACUA, which has included serving as a presenter and moderator, a member of the Lawyers New to Higher Education faculty, the NACUANotes Editorial Board, and on the Committee on the Program for the Annual Conference.

Steve Sencer is Counsel at Ropes & Grey LLP. He brings more than three decades of experience to his work counseling research universities and academic medical centers on legal, regulatory and business issues related to higher education, academic medicine, federally funded research and innovation. A former chief legal officer of Emory University and its affiliated health system, as well as a former litigator and prosecutor, Steve has a firsthand understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing clients.

Steve works closely with clients to navigate complicated legal issues involving scientific research. Utilizing his experience as a former prosecutor, Steve conducts internal investigations and advises on government inquiries related to research misconduct, undue foreign influence, and reporting of foreign gifts and contracts. Clients appreciate Steve’s ability to guide them through sensitive and confidential situations, honed over many years of advising leadership and governing boards.

Research universities and academic medical centers also turn to Steve for guidance on how to realize the value of their scientists’ inventions while managing legal and reputational risks. He has extensive knowledge of alternative innovation models, and regularly counsels clients on licensing of university technologies, structuring internal investments into early-stage opportunities, review of intellectual property policies and Bayh-Dole Act compliance. While at Emory, Steve was instrumental in the creation of Emory Innovations, Inc., and its wholly controlled drug development company, DRIVE, LLC, as well as the successful licensing of molnupiravir, a COVID-19 oral therapy.

Steve also advises clients on the complex and nuanced relationship between schools of medicine and health systems. With his understanding of the legal and regulatory environment and academic medical center culture, Steve helps develop strategies that are legally sound and take into account an institution’s financial, reputational and stakeholder needs.

Steve, who joined Ropes & Gray in 2023, is well known in the higher education legal community. He has served as chair of the board of the National Association of College and University Attorneys, chair of the Legal Services Review Panel of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and a member of the General Counsel Committee of the American Association of Universities.

Justin Sorrell has been with the University of North Florida since 2020, focusing on labor and employment, disability accommodations, and student conduct issues. Prior to joining the University, Justin was in-house litigation and employment counsel for The Adecco Group, one of the world’s largest staffing companies. He has also worked for the employment law firm Jackson Lewis, has been a federal district court law clerk in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and has had experiences working for both the National Labor Relations Board and the U.S. Department of Labor. Justin received his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida and his law degree from the College of William & Mary.

Omar A. Syed became Vice President and General Counsel in August 2022. In that role, he is responsible for Rice’s legal affairs and provides leadership for its institutional compliance and risk management programs. He also serves as Secretary to the Corporation.

Omar earned his Bachelor of Arts degree with special honors in public policy studies from the University of Chicago in 1996 and his law degree from the University of Minnesota in 1999. After law school, he served as an assistant attorney general for the State of Minnesota and an assistant U.S. attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice. Immediately before joining Rice in 2022, Omar served for 15 years in the legal office for the University of Texas System, most recently as its Associate Vice Chancellor and Deputy General Counsel. Omar is a first-generation American.

Michelle serves as Deputy General Counsel at Vanderbilt University, where she has been a member of the Office of the General Counsel since January 2020. Before that, Michelle worked in the education practice group at the international law firm Hogan Lovells, where she advised on high-profile transactional, complex litigation, government investigation, and regulatory compliance matters for universities and education-industry clients. Previously, while attending Yale Law School, Michelle served as an intern in the Yale University Office of General Counsel. 

Destinee Waiters is the Senior Associate General Counsel for Suffolk University in Boston, MA, and has been a NACUA member since 2009. Prior to assuming this position, she served as Associate Vice President of Compliance and General Counsel at Texas Woman’s University and as the Associate General Counsel of the Houston Community College System. Destinee has worked both elected and appointed governing boards in the public higher education arena.   Prior to her university work, she served as Legislative Staff for Texas State Representative Yvonne Davis.

Ms. Waiters served as a member of the Board of Directors of NACUA, Class of FY 2015-2018, and has served on various NACUA committees, as Vice-Chair of the Committee on Strategic Planning, as a member of the NACUANOTES Editorial Board, Web Page Legal Resources Committee, Committee on Board Operations and the Committee on Legal Education.

She is a frequent presenter on various legal topics, including university compliance. She has been a speaker for several higher education and legal associations, including NACUA, the Student Affairs Professionals in Higher Education (NASPA), the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE), and the National Hispanic Bar Association’s Corporate Counsel Conference.

Destinee is a graduate of The University of Texas in San Antonio, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, and from Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Mashall School of Law where she received her law degree with honors.

Esther C. Walker is Associate General Counsel at Dartmouth College. Prior to joining Dartmouth in 2017, Esther served as Assistant Attorney General for the State of Washington, assigned to the University of Washington in Seattle, and as a senior associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Hogan Lovells US LLP (formerly Hogan & Hartson).  

An active member since joining NACUA in 2013, Esther has served terms on several NACUA volunteer groups, including the Committee on Membership and Member Services, the Committee on Legal Education, the Committee on Program for Annual Conference, the NACUANOTES Editorial Board, and the Board Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusivity. Esther has also authored a NACUANOTE and served as a speaker, moderator, or discussion leader for many NACUA programs. 

A graduate of the University of Virginia and Harvard Law School, Esther clerked for Judge Gerald Bruce Lee of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and Judge Karen Nelson Moore of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit before entering practice.