Darnele Liautaud Wright joined the Office of General Counsel, serving as Deputy Campus Counsel at University of California, San Francisco campus (UCSF), in December 2013. For UCSF, she handles dispute resolution, graduate medical education, academic affairs, student affairs, business transactions (including research collaborations, procurement, IP licensing), domestic and international research, governance, investigations, conflicts of interest, information technology, IT security, data use and risk management issues. Prior to joining UCSF, Ms. Wright was in-house counsel at the University of Miami and her work consisted of a blend of transactional and litigation work.  She provided legal guidance on issues involving business transactions, student affairs, collections, labor and employment, childcare, probate, gifts, trusts, export control, athletics, health care matters, intellectual property and technology transfer, litigation management, policy development, purchasing and general corporate law.  She spent her early years after law school working at the law firm Shutts & Bowen LLP in both their labor and employment and business litigation departments.  At Shutts, her work largely consisted of extensive litigation motion practice, research and settlement negotiation. Ms. Wright is a graduate of New York University and Boston University School of Law.

Philip J. Zaccheo, Co-Chair of the Higher Education Practice Group at Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC, provides counseling and representation to colleges and universities throughout the United States on a variety of legal issues.  His experience includes all major areas of higher education law, including academic affairs, corporate governance (including charter and bylaw drafting and revision, trustee fiduciary obligations, issues arising in connection with Board proceedings, and principles of shared governance), corporate finance (including endowment administration under UPMIFA), charitable giving and development, student affairs and student discipline (including Title IX compliance), student financial aid issues (including Title IV compliance), student mental health issues, education record confidentiality, and intercollegiate athletics.  Mr. Zaccheo has represented institutions in connection with the negotiation, drafting and review of a wide range of contractual arrangements common to colleges and universities, has served as transactional counsel in connection with mergers, acquisitions, affiliations and spin-offs involving colleges, universities, and other tax-exempt organizations, and has represented numerous institutions in connection with federal and state regulatory compliance investigations and reviews. 

An active participant in the National Association of College and University Attorneys, Mr. Zaccheo has served in several roles, including as a member of the Annual Conference Planning Committee for several years. He is a graduate of Union College (B.A. 1989) and New York University School of Law (J.D. 1992).

Laurie R. Bishop's practice includes advising colleges, universities, and nonprofit organizations on their policies and procedures, and aiding them in various risk-management decisions. Working with a diverse body of clients, including in her role as the General Counsel at Berklee College of Music, Laurie has experience in a wide array of issues unique to higher education, including the areas of complex contracts, institutional policies and handbooks, campus safety and security, reputational risk management, faculty misconduct, student affairs and various state, federal, and international compliance issues, such as Title IX, the Clery Act, data privacy and security, Massachusetts regulations concerning summer camps and minors on campus, Massachusetts' criminal background check regulations, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and state and federal employment laws. In addition, she has defended colleges, universities, private secondary schools, and other non-profit organizations in state and federal court. Laurie also conducts investigations regarding harassment based on sex, race, and disability.

Barbara Lee is Of Counsel to the law firm of Bond, Schoeneck and King PLLC. She served for five years as Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and is a University Professor at Rutgers.  Dr. Lee is the former Dean of the School of Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers and former Director of the Center for Women and Work.  She is coauthor of The Law of Higher Education, a former NACUA Board member, served as chair of the Editorial Board of NACUA's Journal of College and University Law, and is a NACUA Fellow.  She holds a PhD in higher education administration from The Ohio State University and a J.D. from Georgetown University. Beginning in September of 2020, she will be the Editor of the Journal of College & University Law. Beginning in the fall of 2020 she became editor of the Journal of College and University Law.

Patrick T. O'Rourke is Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer for the University of Colorado. Prior to that, he served as vice president, University Counsel and Secretary of the Board of Regents. O'Rourke has litigated some of the university's highest-profile cases. O’Rourke is an adjunct faculty member of the University of Colorado School of Law and University of Colorado School of Public Health. He has represented clients in a broad range of lawsuits, including class actions, employment law, civil rights, professional liability and product liability. In addition to his work in the trial courts, O'Rourke received his undergraduate degree from Creighton University and his law degree from The Georgetown University Law Center. He is a board member of the Colorado Judicial Institute and the Center for Legal Inclusiveness.