Lawyers New to Higher Education Online Course

Karen Baillie is a Shareholder with Ogletree Deakins, in the firm’s Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania office. Ms. Baillie regularly advises institutions of higher education and employers on a broad range of legal matters, including labor, employment, student affairs, safety, privacy and compliance issues. Ms. Baillie is also a member of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group, the Labor & Employment Practice Group, and the Internal Investigations Practice Group. In earlier lifetimes, Ms. Baillie was a partner with Schnader Harrison, and served as General Counsel at Carlow University, and as Assistant General Counsel at Education Management Corporation. 

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 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.

Elizabeth Conklin, J.D., has served as Yale University’s inaugural associate vice president for institutional equity and accessibility since 2020. In this role, she oversees the Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility (OIEA), Student Accessibility Services (SAS), the Title IX Office, Veteran and Military Affairs, Restorative Practices, and the Yale LGBTQ Center. Her work centers on responding to incidents of discrimination and harassment and fostering a culture that actively prevents such behaviors. She also leads broad training and education initiatives designed to prevent discrimination and harassment and to foster and strengthen inclusive leadership across the university.

Before joining Yale, Elizabeth spent a decade at the University of Connecticut, most of that time as associate vice president for the office of institutional equity, as well as the university’s Title IX and ADA coordinator. Prior to her time in higher education, she practiced labor and employment law as an associate attorney at a midsize Hartford firm.

Bill Ferreira is a Partner with Hogan Lovells and heads the firm’s Global Government Contracts and 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 foreign influence, cost accounting, research misconduct, conflicts of interest, human subjects, and compliance with the OMB Uniform Guidance and Federal Acquisition Regulation.  Drawing on deep experience with global operations, Bill’s team 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. On-the-ground practical experience across dozens of countries informs Bill’s solutions to the challenges of global regulation, international employment, foreign expansion, and transnational contracts. Bill has guided many of the most dynamic research, development, and academic sites across the globe, including high profile projects in the Global South and the Persian Gulf. 

Stephanie Gold heads the firm’s widely recognized national and international Education practice. For over 25 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. She helps clients navigate rules and procedures related to student financial aid, veterans education benefits, military tuition assistance, accreditation, and education licensure, and she advises clients on compliance with nondiscrimination laws, campus security requirements, and privacy and data security laws. With their mission and culture in mind, Stephanie guides clients through distance education initiatives, mergers and acquisitions, cross-border transactions, overseas activities, and institutional reorganizations, and she counsels on faculty and student matters, voluntary disclosures to the government, and policy and procedure development. Stephanie is an active member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys, and she regularly speaks and writes on higher education law developments.

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. 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 and the conference member institutions. With his diversified experience, he spearheads the conference’s legal and strategic efforts for innovating and shaping the dynamic collegiate landscape and is considered among the foremost experts in the issues facing college athletic programs today. He was integral to the conference’s expansion efforts and its groundbreaking media rights agreements and continues to help guide the conference in both its federal and state legislative matters.

Gollahalli joined the conference from the University of Oklahoma, where he served as vice president and general counsel for more than 14 years. 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 previously 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. Perhaps 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 is a former member of the NACUA Board, has served on numerous NACUA committees, and has spoken at many NACUA and other conferences.  Dan also has taught Law & Ethics in Higher Education in Northwestern University’s Masters in Higher Education program.  

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 Co-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.  

Shelley Kehl represented colleges and universities, independent and charter schools, social service agencies, cultural organizations, and nonprofit entities. Shelley began her legal career in the labor department of Proskauer Rose, LLP, and served as General Counsel and Secretary at Pratt Institute before returning to private practice.

Shelley served as primary outside counsel or provided specific services for entities that included traditional and specialized undergraduate, professional and graduate institutions. She provided counsel with regard to labor and employment matters, collective bargaining, faculty issues, student matters, discrimination, compliance, corporate transactional projects, governance and acquiring and maintaining NYS regulatory authority and accreditation. Shelley worked extensively with charter schools and charter networks, independent schools in the New York metropolitan area, social service agencies, cultural institutions, nonprofit entities, and foundations on issues dealing with labor, regulatory oversight, educational activities and programs for minors.

Shelley was a Co-coordinator of the NYNACUA Affinity Group for more than thirty years and presented at numerous NACUA Annual Conferences, NACUA CLE meetings and Lawyers New To Higher Education. Shelley served as a mediator for the United States District Court, Southern District of New York and as an Assistant Counsel for the New York State Governor’s Judicial Screening Committee.

Art M. Lee is the Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for the University of Arizona. Mr. Lee works on the full range of issues and matters across the entire University of Arizona enterprise, including transactional, student and employment, international, health sciences, expressive activity, and information security and privacy, among other areas. 

Mr. Lee joined the University of Arizona in 2013 as an Associate General Counsel. Previously, Mr. Lee served as an Associate General Counsel with Arizona State University for over nine years. Prior to that, he served as a Senior Legal Staff Associate Attorney at the University of Colorado. Before his practice in higher education, Mr. Lee was in private practice as an Associate with an insurance and employment defense law firm in Denver, Colorado. Mr. Lee is active with the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA) and has been active within the community, including serving as a past president and past member of the board of directors of both the Arizona Asian American Bar Association and the Colorado Asian Pacific American Bar Association. 

Mr. Lee graduated from the University of Chicago in 1990 (A.B. Politics, Economics, Rhetoric & Law) and the University of Colorado School of Law in 1993 (J.D.). Mr. Lee is admitted to practice law in the State of Arizona and the State of Colorado and before the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. 

Barbara provides higher education clients with legal counsel in all aspects of education law, including academic and student affairs, faculty tenure and promotion, governance issues, and sexual harassment issues. Prior to joining Bond, Barbara was Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Rutgers University where she continues as a Distinguished Professor of Human Resource Management. Barbara co-authored, and for decades regularly updated, the treatise, The Law of Higher Education, considered one of the most recognized treatises on higher education law in the country. She is a prolific author of other scholarly books and articles, including A Legal Guide for Student Affairs Professionals, and Academics in Court: The Consequences of Faculty Discrimination Litigation, as well as over 100 articles on employment discrimination and higher education issues. She is a former director for the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA), is a regular speaker for the organization and is currently editor of NACUA’s Journal of College and University Law. She frequently serves as an expert as a result of her experience in faculty employment matters and investigations across the country, especially as relates to discrimination. In addition to her academic experience, Barbara is also the former chair of the New Jersey Bar Association’s Higher Education Committee. 

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.

Dickens “Deke” Mathieu is the general counsel and secretary at Trinity College. As general counsel, Deke provides legal advice and counsel to the Board of Trustees and to the college senior leadership, covering the full breadth of legal and compliance issues that abound in higher education. As secretary, he is the primary administrative liaison to the Board of Trustees, and is chief administrative liaison to the Executive Committee and the Governance Committee.    Deke has three decades of legal experience in higher education, private law firm practice, and public service. He previously served as general counsel for Syracuse University and senior legal counsel for Tufts University. He worked as an assistant U.S. attorney in Boston, MA, in the Criminal Division, prosecuting narcotics trafficking and money laundering. He began his legal career in 1993 at the law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP, in Washington, D.C.    Deke earned a B.A. in political science from Amherst College and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. He provides service to the National Association of College and University Attorneys and the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities; is a founding director of Discovering Justice, The James D. St. Clair Court Education Project; and is a life member and former director of the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association. 

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 (“Allie”) is Senior Counsel at Hirsch Roberts Weinstein LLP. She advises and represents colleges, universities and other nonprofits on policy, compliance, and risk management issues. In addition to her role at the firm, Allie is also Deputy General Counsel at Berklee College of Music. 

Allie has significant experience conducting investigations for employers, secondary, and post-secondary schools on a wide range of issues, including sexual violence and harassment, retaliation, and discrimination on the basis of gender, race, and disability. 

In addition, Allie has particular experience in the areas of campus safety and security, Title IX, the Clery Act, state, federal and international data privacy regulations, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), student affairs, faculty misconduct, and complex contracts. She defends colleges and universities in an array of litigation matters in both state and federal court. In addition, Allie provides advice on policies and procedures, and conducts training. 

Allie’s practice also includes advising businesses and nonprofits on a variety of employment matters affecting not only their day-to-day operations but also their long-term business objectives.  Allie works on a wide range of cases and issues, including pay equity, privacy laws, anti-discrimination statutes, contracts, and employment policies and practices. 

Bill Mullowney serves as Vice President for Policy and General Counsel for Valencia College in Orlando, Florida. He serves as Valencia’s chief legal officer and as a lobbyist and legislative counsel to the executive and legislative branches of the State of Florida. He also served as Program Chair for the Community College Conference on Legal Issues from 2006-2020. He earned his B.B.A. degree from the University of Miami School of Business, and his J.D. and LL.M. degrees from the University of Miami School of Law. Prior to his position at Valencia, Mr. Mullowney served as the chief legal officer at Whittier College in California and before that as University Ombudsman at the University of Miami. While at Whittier, Mr. Mullowney also served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the Whittier Law School, where he taught classes in Sports Law and Higher Education Law. While at Miami, he helped launch the university’s Student Honor Code and also served as an Associate Faculty Master at the Hecht Residential College. Mr. Mullowney is a member of the Florida Bar and the State Bar of California. He is Florida Bar Board Certified as a specialist in Education Law.  He has completed three elected terms of service on the Board of Directors of the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA), serving as a member-at-large, then as Secretary, and then as the Chair of the Board. He also has served on the Boards of the Florida Colleges Activities Association, the Association of Florida Colleges (AFC), and the AFC Foundation. Bill has spoken on issues regarding higher education law at numerous state and national panel discussions and conferences. 

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 in private practice and 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.

Bisi also worked as a supervisory attorney with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR).  While in private practice, Bisi 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. Bisi’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.

Nicole’s practice primarily supports the research enterprise at Brown University. She advises on federal and state regulatory matters, sponsored research, research integrity, centers and institutes, export controls, lab safety, and medicine and health affairs. Nicole also provides counsel on intellectual property, conflicts of interest, and corporate governance issues.     Prior to Brown, Nicole worked in the government contracts practice of a large international law firm in Washington, D.C. where she advised clients on a broad range of complex regulatory, transactional, and litigation matters. She clerked for the U.S Court of Federal Claims and the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.    Nicole has a J.D., summa cum laude, from the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, and a B.A., cum laude, from Providence College. Nicole serves as an adjunct professor at Providence College, where she teaches legal writing. 

Stephanie S. Rosenberg is a Senior Associate General Counsel for the University of Arizona, where she has served since 2012. Her practice area focuses on business affairs, regulatory, and constitutional matters. Prior to joining the University, Ms. Rosenberg served as the General Counsel to the Humble Independent School District near Houston, Texas. In that capacity, Ms. Rosenberg advised the Superintendent and Board of Trustees on all legal matters affecting the district, including employee contract administration and labor laws, purchasing and contract issues, student discipline and education matters, policy development, and federal and state laws, regulations, and constitutional principles. Prior to joining Humble ISD, Ms. Rosenberg was an associate attorney in the Corporate Reorganization & Restructuring section of Bracewell LLP, where her practice concentrated in federal bankruptcy litigation and appeals. Ms. Rosenberg is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin (B.A., 1996), and the Villanova University School of Law (J.D., 2001, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif), where she served as the Editor-in-Chief for the Villanova Law Review. She is a member of the State Bar of Arizona and the National Association of College and University Attorneys. Ms. Rosenberg is licensed to practice in Arizona. 

Steve Sencer is Counsel at Ropes & Gray, LLP, and the former chief legal officer of Emory University and its affiliated health system. His practice focuses on counseling research universities and academic medical centers on legal, regulatory and business issues related to higher education, academic medicine, federally funded research and innovation.

Steve, who joined Ropes & Gray in 2023, 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. 

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. 

Prior to joining Emory, Steve was in private practice in Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. He was also an assistant district attorney in DeKalb County, Georgia. 

Omar A. Syed is Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for Rice University. Omar received his A.B. with Special Honors in Public Policy Studies from The University of Chicago, and his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School. Before joining Rice in 2022, Omar practiced civil litigation as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Minnesota, then served as an Assistant United States Attorney in Minneapolis, where he led federal investigations and prosecuted federal narcotics, violent and economic crimes, then served the University of Texas System for 15 years, most recently as its Associate Vice Chancellor and Deputy General Counsel. Omar is also 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.

Prior to joining Dartmouth’s OGC in 2017, Esther served as an 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). Esther has advised on a wide range of regulatory and transactional matters, including compliance with federal statutes and regulations on financial aid and student records, accreditation, civil rights, governance, artificial intelligence, and contracts with third-party service providers. 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. 

Scott L. Warner is a partner at Husch Blackwell LLP where he represents higher education institutions in a wide range of matters with a particular focus on counseling and advising, compliance, and litigation. He has extensive experience with the wide variety of legal issues that affect higher education, such as crisis management, board governance, faculty personnel, student affairs, and campus sexual assault and other compliance matters. Prior to returning to private practice in 2006, Scott worked in the general counsel’s office at Northwestern University where he focused on student matters and developed a deep interest in representing colleges and universities. Scott is a former member of the NACUA Board of Directors, has served on numerous NACUA committees, and has spoken at many NACUA conferences. He received both his B.A. and J.D. from the University of Michigan and served as law clerk for the Honorable Jay C. Waldman in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.