L. Lee Tyner, Jr. was named the inaugural General Counsel at Texas Christian University (TCU) in April 2018. Before coming to TCU, Lee was as an attorney at the University of Mississippi for almost twenty years, serving as General Counsel from 2013-2018. Before working at Ole Miss, Lee was a litigator at Butler Snow in Jackson, Mississippi, with experience in media law, public interest litigation, and constitutional law. During his years at Ole Miss, Lee regularly taught courses in Business Law and Communications Law in the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College.
Lee regularly speaks on a wide range of topics, most frequently in the areas of free expression, diversity and access, student affairs, and intercollegiate athletics. Lee has provided the campus lawyer’s perspective on a variety of issues in listening sessions with the Department of Justice, the White House Task Force to Protect Students Against Sexual Assault, the Family Policy Compliance Office, and the Office for Civil Rights.
Lee is an alumnus of the Institute for Education Management at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and of Leadership Mississippi. Lee is a Fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation and an organizing board member for the Mississippi Center for Freedom of Information. Lee also served on the advisory board for the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation and on the Commission for the Future of North Mississippi. Lee has also been active in his church, playing leadership roles at the local and regional level.
Lee received his B.A. from the University of Mississippi and his J.D. from the University of Virginia.
Lee is a national leader among higher education lawyers, serving on the NACUA Board of Directors from 2008-2011 and as its Chair from 2015-2016.
In the words of his colleagues, Lee has embraced the volunteer spirit of NACUA from the start of his entry into the association and embarked on a steady and productive record of involvement and leadership that is most impressive. He has generously stepped forward as a speaker at numerous conferences, workshops, and other events, and has served as a volunteer leader on many sections and committees. His record of service over the years is admirable. He is ever gracious and generous with colleagues, and has always been the model of NACUA values, especially those of civility and collegiality.
NACUA is pleased to recognize L. Lee Tyner, Jr. as a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award for his outstanding and exemplary service to the Association.