Frequently Asked Questions about NACUA Membership
Have questions about NACUA membership? Explore our FAQs to learn about benefits, requirements, and resources—and get the clear, quick answers you need right now.
Basic Requirements and Dues Structure
What are the basic eligibility requirements for NACUA institutional membership?
NACUA Institutional Members must be accredited, non-profit, degree-granting institutions of higher education. The college or university must employ a licensed attorney in good standing (either as in-house or outside counsel) who then will serve as the institution’s primary representative with respect to NACUA membership.
My institution’s accreditation status is pending. Is my institution eligible for NACUA membership?
An institution must be fully accredited to be eligible for NACUA membership. Once your institution officially receives accreditation, you may apply for membership.
What are the basic eligibility requirements for NACUA’s attorney representatives?
NACUA member representatives must be licensed attorneys in good standing and meet NACUA’s commonality of interest requirements (which can be found by clicking here).
How does NACUA determine membership dues?
Dues are based on an institution’s full-time enrollment and current fund expenditures as most recently reported to the U.S. Department of Education. The amount of dues then determines the number of individual representatives to which a given institution is entitled, including one primary representative who serves as the Institutional Member’s main NACUA contact. View NACUA’s Institutional Dues Matrix.
The dues for NACUA’s remaining membership categories are as follows:
- Emeritus Members: $185
- International Members: $920
- Associate Individual Members: $1,005
- Associate Institutional Members: $1,780
NACUA will prorate membership dues for new Institutional Members, new Associate Institutional Members, and new Associate Individual Members who join between March 1and June 30. NACUA does not prorate dues for new additional representatives. Learn more about NACUA’s membership categories.
My institution has used all of its designated representative slots. Can we add additional representatives to our designated number?
Yes. Members who wish to add attorney representatives beyond the number designated by their institutional dues may do so for an additional fee per attorney.
- Institutional Members Fee: $250.00 per attorney. Access form.
- Associate Institutional Members Fee: $745.00 per attorney. Access form.
When do NACUA Memberships renew?
- All memberships run from September 1 – August 31.
- Renewal packets for the next membership year will be emailed in July.
How do I determine who an institution’s NACUA Primary Representative is?
Most often, it is the chief legal counsel of the institution or, if the campus is part of a larger state-wide system, the chief legal counsel of that system. To obtain the name of your primary representative, contact us.
For Non-Member Attorneys Representing Eligible Non-Member Institutions
My institution does not employ in-house legal counsel. Is my institution eligible for NACUA membership?
Yes. Approximately one-third of NACUA’s member institutions have a primary representative who is outside legal counsel. Outside counsel may serve as member representatives on behalf of an Institutional Member. Administrators and staff members at the institution would have access to publications, as well as NACUA workshops and virtual seminars, at the preferred member rates. See the “For Non-Member Attorneys Employed at Law Firms” section for more details.
I represent a non-profit, degree-granting institution located outside of the United States. Is my institution eligible for membership?
Yes. NACUA offers a membership category for International Institutions. Some attorney representatives for International Institutions practice outside the United States; others represent international colleges and universities from offices within the United States.
I am an attorney, and work at a college or university. However, I am not employed by the General Counsel’s office. Am I eligible for NACUA membership?
Possibly. Some attorneys who are employed outside the General Counsel’s office are listed as additional representatives on their Institutional Member’s representative roster. Other attorneys employed outside the General Counsel’s office choose to apply for Associate Individual Membership. However, your institution’s NACUA primary representative has the sole discretion regarding your eligibility for membership, as well as for determining your most appropriate membership category. See “How do I determine who an institution’s NACUA Primary Representative is?” above for more details on locating your institution’s primary representative.
I would like to join NACUA as an Associate Individual Member or as an institutional representative on an Associate Institutional Member’s roster. Will I have access to membership benefits immediately upon submitting my application?
No. NACUA Bylaws require that its Board of Directors review and approve all applications for Associate Institutional and Associate Individual Membership. Currently, the Board reviews Associate Membership applications in November, March/April, and June. As the application review process may require clarification of information provided on the application or a request for additional information, NACUA encourages applicants to submit their applications as far in advance of each Board meeting as possible.
Can non-members attend NACUA’s Annual Conference?
Only licensed attorneys currently practicing higher education law are eligible to attend NACUA’s annual conferences. If you are not a member of NACUA, but meet the conference’s eligibility requirements, you will be asked to affirm that you meet the eligibility requirements as part of the registration process.
I do not currently represent a college or university. Do I need to do so before I am eligible for membership?
Yes. To be eligible for NACUA membership, you must currently represent a college or university. If you are interested in learning more about career opportunities in higher education law, visit NACUA’s Career Center.
For Former Member Attorneys Who Are Retired from the Practice of Law
I am a current NACUA member who will retire soon, or a former NACUA member. Am I eligible for the new retired membership category?
If you have been a member of NACUA in good standing for a minimum of ten years, you may be eligible for Emeritus Membership. You must be fully retired from the practice of law and cannot otherwise be eligible to be either a representative of a regular institution or an associate institution, or be an associate individual member. The dues for NACUA’s Emeritus Membership category are $185.
Are there additional requirements?
You are not eligible if you are, or will be, engaged on either a limited or regular basis in legal matters on behalf of colleges and universities. It is not required for you to maintain active licensure in any state.
What are the benefits of Emeritus Membership?
Emeritus members receive all current NACUA benefits, including participation on NACUANET. Emeritus members may attend any NACUA continuing legal education program (including the Annual Conference) at 50% of the regular (early) member rates. Emeritus members are also encouraged to participate in the association’s ongoing work through committee service.
For Non-Member Attorneys Employed at Law Firms
Are law firms eligible for Institutional or Associate Institutional membership?
Law firms, as an entity, are not eligible to join NACUA as either Institutional or Associate Institutional Members. However, individual attorneys at law firms may be eligible to join NACUA as a primary representative for an Institutional Member, as an additional representative for an Institutional Member, or as an Associate Individual Member. To determine your eligibility, click here.
I am a member of a law firm. Am I eligible for NACUA membership?
Yes, if you currently represent, as a client, an institution or organization that is eligible for NACUA membership. But, no, if you do not have any institutional clients or organizations who are eligible for NACUA membership, even if other attorneys at your law firm do.
NACUA serves over 1,000 outside counsel across various categories of membership. To determine the appropriate membership category, click here.
I am employed at a law firm and represent an institution that is not a NACUA member. Should I apply for Associate Individual membership?
No. If the institution you represent is not currently a NACUA member, please encourage your institution to apply for Institutional Membership. To be eligible for Associate Individual Membership, you must represent an institution that is already a NACUA member. Please reach out to membership@nacua.org to determine the membership status of any higher education clients you currently represent.
I work at a law firm and serve as the primary legal counsel for more than one college or university. How can each of my clients have access to NACUA’s benefits?
NACUA offers a multi-institution discount for outside counsel who serve as the primary representative for more than one eligible college or university. The institution with the largest full-time enrollment and operating expenses will be assessed the full dues amounts. All additional institutions’ dues amounts will be reduced by 50%. However, each Institutional Member would have its full complement of designated attorney representatives.
Contact Membership
The NACUA membership team is here to help you make the most of your member experience. Contact us at membership@nacua.org or 202.833.8390.
With NACUA, I am never alone in navigating difficult moments or responding to major changes. NACUA quickly assembles experts to present during free briefings for members in response to breaking news, setting all members up for success. NACUANET provides a forum for information sharing and offers to meet offline. Through NACUA I’ve met lifelong friends, colleagues, and mentors; I’ve benefitted from their kindness and expertise for my entire career, and I’m so grateful.
—Andrea Stagg, Director of Consulting Services, Grand River Solutions, Inc.
Being a higher education attorney means you are the legal counselor and sounding board to the university’s administrative staff and (depending on your position) board of directors. As such, you have the opportunity to help your client reach their strategic goals as efficiently as possible and in a manner that lowers risk and maximizes gains. Your eyes and ears see and hear issues in a different light, anticipating pitfalls and opportunities your clients do not see, enabling you to be a trusted and reliable source for those who make major decisions on behalf of the university.
—Darron Farha, Vice President and General Counsel, Valparaiso University
With the legal landscape changing so quickly and significantly these days, as a NACUA member I regularly experience that I am part of an organization whose sole mission is to support the effectiveness of my practice as a higher education lawyer for the benefit of my university. This support takes many forms including timely and often daily legal updates, impactful continuing legal education through briefings, webinars and thought-provoking presentations, and perhaps most importantly these days, the community of care that has always been wonderful but right now, feels like an oasis. I love NACUA!
—Lili Palacios Baldwin, Deputy General Counsel, Labor, Employment & Litigation, Tufts University
Being a higher education attorney means being a strategic advisor to a mission-driven institution that changes peoples’ lives. We make an enormous difference in helping our clients navigate thorny challenges and launch innovative efforts, all in service to the institution’s goals and in support of our wide-ranging community and stakeholders. Especially in today’s complex higher education landscape, we are not just defenders or resolvers, but we are relationship builders, conversation facilitators, and creative thinkers. I feel honored to work shoulder-to-shoulder with leaders who are trying to do big things in the right way every day.
—Becca Gose, Vice President and General Counsel, Oregon State University
NACUA is so much more than a professional organization – it is a community of professionals who are committed to the mission of higher education, and who every day embody NACUA’s core values of quality, service, civility, collegiality, diversity, inclusiveness, and respect. Today more than ever, I value the collective wisdom, resilience and compassion of my NACUA community as we navigate unprecedented challenges together, with the support of NACUA’s dedicated and tireless staff.
—Vannesa Martinez Cecchini, Deputy General Counsel, Yale University
NACUA members are on the frontline of multi-faceted attacks on higher education, the rule of law, and longstanding norms – attacks that make the world feel bleak at the moment. The community I have found within NACUA provides a critical antidote to that bleakness. NACUA members are not afraid to dive in, to ask hard questions, to give of their time, and to share their knowledge. The connections we make with one another across NACUA provide the stability, the foundation, and the framework for friendship, leadership, service, and faith in the greater good that comes through collaboration and meaningful engagement.
—Leslie Gomez, Vice Chair, Institutional Response Group, Cozen O’Connor
Being a NACUA member and higher education attorney for me have always been about making a deliberate choice to engage in service on behalf of education and the pursuit of knowledge for the betterment of all. I feel privileged to get to wake up each morning and engage with clients and colleagues who are smart, curious, and share a common set of core values. Things are more challenging now than ever, but with that challenge comes both urgency and purpose. There’s no better place than NACUA to create the community and relationships that help us all work toward that purpose.
—Josh Richards, Co-Chair, Higher Education Practice Group, Saul Ewing LLP
I view my membership in NACUA as foundational to my work. As a solo practitioner, I am incredibly grateful for the sense of community it provides, offering me both mentorship and access to high-level legal analysis from industry experts. Given the unprecedented pace of federal regulatory changes–likely setting a new precedent for years to come—NACUA’s ability to track litigation and case law is indispensable. I am so grateful for this community and the timely updates that keep my practice sharp and informed.
—Janelle Ramsel, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary to the Board of Trustees, Regis University
In my view, higher education attorneys hold the best and most interesting legal jobs in the nation. Colleges and universities contribute uniquely to scholarly and scientific progress and to the civic good; moreover, they serve as perhaps the greatest engines for social mobility in our country. In order to address the complex, urgent, and in some cases existential challenges facing American higher education today, universities increasingly require excellent lawyering across the broadest range of legal issues. For these reasons, I take great pride in assisting our university clients to achieve their important community, national, and public interest missions.
—Cody W. Meixner, Associate General Counsel, Georgetown University
NACUA’s workshops, webinars, and briefings are always timely. As a NACUA member, I have access to thoughtful content and analysis, which I have found essential to the practice of higher ed law. What keeps me coming back to NACUA is the sense of community – I have found that NACUA colleagues are always available to share practical resources and think through unique questions.
—Olabisi “Bisi” Okubadejo, Associate Vice President for Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, and Compliance, Georgetown University
Higher education transforms society by vesting the next generation with critical thinking skills and technical knowledge; preparing the nation’s professionals; advancing scientific and medical knowledge; improving public health; eroding societal barriers; building industry; promoting robust discourse; breeding new ideas, works, and inventions; igniting social movements; and strengthening local communities. As higher education attorneys, we have a horizontal view of the incredible things that happen every single day on college campuses. Through our work, our imprint is on all of these amazing initiatives. What more of a privilege could there be than to represent colleges and universities?
—Holly Peterson, Counsel, Tenenbaum Law Group PLLC
The past six years have been an extraordinarily tumultuous time in higher education. The immediate future appears to hold even more uncertainty, particularly regarding the myriad of legal issues and challenges facing higher education. It is at this moment that the value and benefit of being a part of an association like NACUA becomes crystal clear. It is a community of the brightest, most talented, collegial, and dedicated professionals that supports you through these chaotic times and also provides access to continuously updated information and developments to help you navigate them. I am grateful to be a part of NACUA!
—Art Lee, Chief Campus Counsel, Stony Brook University
When I joined the Emory University legal office twenty-five years ago, family and friends asked “why does a university need a lawyer?” They don’t ask now. Today, legal challenges are impacting colleges and universities in fundamental ways. Higher ed lawyers rise to meet these challenges every day, and NACUA – and the NACUA community – have never been more needed.
—Steve Sencer, Counsel, Ropes & Gray LLP
Colleges and universities are highly regulated and complex entities, and the lawyers who represent them must stay well-connected and well-informed to be effective. Being a member of NACUA is vital to my practice because it connects me to a network of legal experts and critical resources for navigating the formidable pressures in the higher education sector. In today’s demanding climate, NACUA also plays an important role in fostering a supportive community where I can share challenges and find compassion and camaraderie. NACUA connections strengthen my emotional well-being and professional confidence, enhancing my ability to deliver the best possible service to my university client.
—Traevena Byrd, Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary to the Board, American University
Career Center
Advance your legal career or find top talent by using the NACUA Career Center, connecting higher education attorneys and employers.