Leigh Cole is an Attorney, Shareholder and Director at Dinse P.C., a law firm in Burlington, Vermont. As Chair of the firm's Education practice group, she assists colleges and universities with a variety of legal matters, with a focus on immigration and international matters. She also serves as Immigration Counsel to Hirschfeld Kraemer LLP, an employment boutique law firm. She currently serves as Board Chair for ISEP: Study Abroad and on the editorial board of the Journal of College and University Law. She earned a J.D. from Albany Law School of Union University, where she served as editor-in-chief of the Albany Law Review. She holds a B.A. in government from Cornell University. Leigh was a member of the NACUA Board of Directors (Class of FY 2017-2020) and its Finance Committee. She also has served on the NACUA Committee on Membership and Member Services.
Michael R. Pfahl, J.D., Ph.D, serves as Senior Associate General Counsel for Kent State University (“Go Flashes”). He received his Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Kent State University and focuses his research on international student issues, international comparative higher education law, and study abroad liability. As in-house counsel for Kent State, his primary areas of practice are employment-based immigration and international law, administrative law issues, student and conduct issues, contract law, as well as coordination of the university policy register. Dr. Pfahl also provides support for the University's several overseas operations including China, India, Italy, Brazil, and Rwanda.
Dr. Pfahl previously served on the Board of Directors for the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA) and is a past recipient of the association’s First Decade Award. In addition to NACUA, Michael has presented at other higher education associations, including: NAFSA: Association of International Educators; the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO); the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR); the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP); and the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB).