The National Association of College and University Attorneys has announced a new slate of board leadership following elections by its member institutions, marking the start of new terms for a chair-elect and six members-at-large.
Timothy G. Lynch, vice president and general counsel at the University of Michigan, has been named chair-elect. He joins a board that includes Jennifer Zimbroff, deputy general counsel and managing attorney at Stanford University; Christopher Lott, deputy general counsel at Duke University; Youndy C. Cook, vice president and general counsel at the University of Central Florida; Anne Elizabeth Bilder, university general counsel at the University of Northern Iowa; Hope Tyehimba, associate general counsel at Johns Hopkins University; and Jim Keller, co-chair of the Higher Education Practice Group at Saul Ewing LLP and affiliated with Haverford College.
The association said the newly elected board members began their terms this month.
NACUA, founded in 1960, serves as a professional organization for attorneys who represent colleges and universities across the United States and abroad. Its membership includes general counsel offices at public and private institutions, law firms with higher education practices, and affiliated legal professionals who focus on issues affecting postsecondary education.
University counsel operate in an increasingly complex legal environment. Institutions face regulatory requirements tied to federal funding, evolving Title IX guidance, student speech disputes, research compliance rules, and employment law challenges. Board members help shape NACUA’s response to those developments by guiding programming, overseeing governance matters and identifying priority areas for legal education.
Lynch has led the University of Michigan’s legal team through matters involving governance, public records, athletics and institutional risk. As chair-elect, he will work with association leadership to coordinate national conferences, expand member engagement, and support strategic planning.
The members-at-large represent a range of institutional backgrounds. Bilder brings experience in constitutional and international legal scholarship. Cook oversees legal operations for one of the country’s largest public universities. Keller advises higher education clients on regulatory compliance and litigation strategy. Lott’s work at Duke University includes institutional governance and policy matters. Tyehimba focuses on compliance and risk mitigation in academic settings. Zimbroff manages employment, litigation, and advisory work at Stanford University’s Office of the General Counsel.
In addition to professional development programming, NACUA produces research and guidance papers that serve as reference materials for campus legal offices. These publications examine emerging topics such as academic freedom disputes, federal regulatory changes, student discipline procedures, and governance best practices. The association regularly updates practice notes and briefing documents in response to court decisions and agency rulemaking, offering attorneys analysis intended to help institutions interpret and implement new requirements.
NACUA’s written resources are often cited within university general counsel offices as tools for training staff and informing policy decisions. The organization also hosts workshops and webinars tied to its research output, allowing members to discuss practical applications and compliance strategies.
As colleges and universities confront continued legal scrutiny and public debate over campus policies, NACUA’s leadership transition places experienced higher education attorneys at the helm of an organization central to advising institutions nationwide. The new board assumes its responsibilities at a time when campus legal offices are navigating regulatory change, litigation risk, and governance challenges that shape the daily operations of higher education.
