The National Association of College and University Attorneys, known as NACUA, is the professional association for the lawyers who represent colleges and universities. Founded in 1961 and based in Washington, D.C., it serves as the central resource and community for higher education law, supporting attorneys who advise institutions on everything from governance and compliance to research, employment, and student affairs. Its mission is to advance the effective practice of higher education attorneys for the benefit of the colleges and universities they serve.
What NACUA does
NACUA's core work is keeping higher education lawyers informed and current. It maintains a large resource library organized by topic, publishes a daily Cases and Developments digest emailed weekly to members, and produces NACUANOTES, NACUA Insights, and The Journal of College and University Law. For many in-house counsel, that flow of timely analysis is the practical backbone of staying ahead of a fast-moving legal landscape.
The association also runs an extensive education program. It hosts an annual conference, CLE workshops, webinars, and rapid-response briefings on breaking developments, along with online courses on subjects such as Title IX, FERPA, and internal investigations. Its 2026 annual conference in Nashville marks the organization's 65th year as a hub for the field.
Membership and community
NACUA's membership spans more than five thousand attorneys at roughly nineteen hundred member campuses across the United States and Canada, ranging from large research universities to small colleges and community colleges. Members include in-house general counsel and their teams as well as attorneys in private practice who represent institutions.
Beyond resources and education, the association functions as a professional community. Its NACUANET forum, member directory, affinity groups, and committees give higher education lawyers a place to share practical guidance and work through novel questions together, a role members frequently describe as one of the most valuable parts of belonging.
Leadership and board
NACUA is governed by an elected board of directors made up of general counsel, deputy general counsel, and private-practice attorneys from across higher education. The board for the 2025-2026 year is chaired by Timothy G. Lynch, vice president and general counsel of the University of Michigan, who succeeded past chair Traevena Byrd of American University. Members at large include Jennifer Zimbroff, deputy general counsel and managing attorney at Stanford University, and Nicholas DiGiovanni of Morgan, Brown & Joy, among other attorneys elected from member institutions and firms.
Day to day the association is led by president and chief executive Ona Alston Dosunmu, who in 2025 was named to the board of the American Council on Education. The board sets NACUA's strategy and stewards its programs on behalf of the membership, with officers serving defined terms as chair, chair-elect, secretary, and treasurer.
Recognition
In 2025 NACUA received the American Society of Association Executives Power of Associations Gold Award for its Transition Updates: First 100 Days program, which tracked the federal policy changes affecting higher education. The same year, the association's chief executive joined the board of the American Council on Education, a reflection of NACUA's standing among national higher-education organizations.
As a nonprofit professional association, NACUA's finances and filings are a matter of public record through resources such as ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer. The organization is headquartered at One Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C., alongside many of the country's leading higher-education associations.
Frequently asked questions
What is NACUA?
NACUA, the National Association of College and University Attorneys, is the professional association for lawyers who represent colleges and universities. Founded in 1961 and based in Washington, D.C., it provides legal resources, continuing legal education, and a professional community for higher education attorneys.
Who can join NACUA?
Membership is open to attorneys who represent colleges and universities, including in-house general counsel and their staff as well as private-practice lawyers who serve institutions. NACUA's membership spans more than five thousand attorneys at roughly nineteen hundred member campuses across the United States and Canada.
What does NACUA provide its members?
NACUA offers a topic-organized resource library, a daily Cases and Developments digest, publications such as NACUANOTES and The Journal of College and University Law, an annual conference, CLE workshops, webinars, online courses, and a member community through NACUANET, committees, and affinity groups.
Who leads NACUA?
NACUA is led by president and chief executive Ona Alston Dosunmu and governed by an elected board of directors. The board for 2025-2026 is chaired by Timothy G. Lynch of the University of Michigan, and its members at large include attorneys from institutions and firms across higher education, such as Jennifer Zimbroff of Stanford University.
Where is NACUA located?
NACUA is headquartered at One Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C., a center for national higher-education associations. It was founded in 1961 and marks its 65th year in 2026.