President John Garvey has appointed Nancy Morrison O’Connor as the University’s new general counsel, effective Jan. 1, 2018. O’Connor will manage the University's responses to litigation and other legal proceedings. She will provide legal guidance on matters related to Catholic University's operations and serve as the principal legal adviser to the Board of Trustees and the executive officers of the University.
“I am pleased to welcome Nancy O’Connor as our new general counsel,” said President Garvey. “Nancy brings extensive legal experience to the University, including experience as an in-house counsel, litigator, and professor, which is sure to serve Catholic University well in the years ahead.”
O’Connor has more than 41 years of legal experience in the areas of labor and employment, litigation, and research integrity. Most recently, she spent 17 years as a partner at Bracewell LLP, where she represented clients in compliance, internal investigations, transactions, and litigation.
Prior to joining Bracewell, O’Connor served as the deputy general counsel and vice president for human resources and employee benefits at Allbritton Communications Company in Washington, D.C. Her experience also includes 17 years at Norton Rose Fulbright (Houston and Washington, D.C.) and a federal appointment at the Office of Research Integrity. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Notre Dame Law School, where she has taught Intensive Trial Advocacy since 2004.
“I am honored and excited about this unique opportunity to serve Catholic University in support of its mission with the rest of the University’s fine legal team,” said O’Connor. “This exciting opportunity brings together important professional and personal priorities and draws on my past experience. It presents the welcome challenge of addressing the full spectrum of legal and policy issues in higher education in the special context of a national Catholic university in tandem with its impressive leadership team."
O’Connor, a native of Washington, D.C., received her J.D. from the University of Notre Dame and her B.A. in political science from Gettysburg College. She has served on the Board of the National Veterans Legal Services Program since 2014 and currently serves on the DC Circuit Credentials Committee for the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. She served as chair of the Montgomery County (Maryland) Commission on Human Rights and its Case Review Board.
O’Connor succeeds Larry Morris, who was appointed chief of staff and counselor to the President, effective Jan. 1, 2018.
MEDIA: To schedule an interview, contact the Office of Marketing and Communications at communications@cua.edu or 202-319-5600.