Mission and Values

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