Cuthbert to help lead national group for university attorneys

Henry L. Cuthbert, senior university legal counsel at UW–Madison, has been elected second vice president of the National Association of College and University Attorneys, a position that will automatically move him higher in the group’s leadership until he becomes president in 2007.

NACUA is the premier professional organization for attorneys practicing in higher education law. Its mission is to “advance the effective practice of higher education attorneys for the benefit of the colleges and universities they serve.” Established in 1961, the organization’s membership numbers nearly 3,000 attorneys from 600 institutions that comprise 1,300 campuses, including members from higher education institutions in Canada, Israel, Australia, Egypt, Lebanon, Granada and Jamaica.

In addition to working to improve the quality of legal assistance that attorneys provide to their institutions, NACUA also monitors governmental developments having significant legal implications for its member institutions, coordinates the exchange of information concerning all aspects of law affecting higher education, and cooperates with other higher education associations to provide general legal information and assistance.

“Campuses tend to deal with similar issues, some sooner than others. It is both soothing and rewarding to know that as issues arise at Madison and after I have done my initial research, I can always consult with my colleagues around the country on how they may have addressed a similar issue. This network allows members to provide high-quality and timely assistance to their administrators, faculty and staff,” Cuthbert says.

As a leader in NACUA, Cuthbert will work with the group’s CEO and staff at the national office in Washington, D.C., his fellow officers, 15 board members at large and the membership to identify common issues and methods to address them, share information through the network, and develop programming for conferences, workshops and publications.

Because he is not the general counsel for the university, Cuthbert’s election required the approval of Melany Newby, general counsel and vice chancellor for legal affairs at UW–Madison, and Pat Brady, general counsel for University of Wisconsin System. He is the first member to be elected to the “presidential ladder” who is not general counsel of an educational institution.

“It is an honor and a privilege,” he says.

“We are incredibly proud of Henry and this achievement, and believe it will reflect very positively on UW–Madison,” Newby says. “It is noteworthy that, as a non-general counsel at a system institution, not only did he need and receive our office support, but also that of system general counsel. We have both given him our wholehearted endorsement and support. He will be an excellent NACUA officer.”

Cuthbert has been a member of Legal Service’s Business Law Practice Group and specializes in areas of the law such as copyright; distance learning; multimedia, cyber law and Internet issues; telecommunications; contracts and business/transactional law, including purchasing and disposable property; and facilities use and leases.

Cuthbert is a 1975 graduate of Lawrence University in Appleton and received his law degree from UW–Madison in 1983. He worked as a civil litigator for Legal Action of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, and was in private practice in Minneapolis prior to joining UW–Madison in 1989.