Sonali currently serves as general counsel and secretary to the board of trustees of Cleveland State University. She oversees the Office of University Compliance, which is part of her division to which the Office of Institutional Equity and the Office of Internal Audit report. She joined the University in 1996 as a lecturer in the College of Law and in 1997 became assistant university legal counsel. She served as secretary to the board of trustees from 2000 to 2011, and was recently reappointed to serve as secretary. Sonali was named general counsel in 2004.
Sonali has been an active member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys since 1998, is a former NACUA Board member and has served on several NACUA committees. In 2013, she was elected to serve as Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association for an inaugural two-year term, and currently serves on its Diversity and Thought Leadership Committee. Sonali received the 2013 Trailblazer Award from the Norman S. Minor Bar Association, was named 2014 Professional Woman of the Year by the Women of Color Foundation, and was a finalist in Crain’s Cleveland Business 2014 Class of Top Ten General Counsel and In-House Counsel in the Region. In 2015, she was named a YWCA Woman of Achievement.
Sonali holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Boston University, a master’s degree in government studies from Harvard University, and a juris doctorate degree from Georgetown University Law Center. Active in community service, she is currently a member of the Board of Directors of The United Way of Greater Cleveland, the Dean’s Advisory Board, College of Arts and Sciences, as well as Black Alumni Leadership Council at Boston University, and the Board of Visitors for the Cuyahoga Community College.