The NCAA News - News and Features

April 21, 1997

Cole named general counsel for NCAA

Elsa Kircher Cole has been selected to fill the position of general counsel for the Association.

A new position for the NCAA, the general counsel is responsible for management of all legal issues affecting the organization and the coordination of all litigation involving the organization. Cole also will be responsible for advising the executive director and other staff members on a wide range of legal issues, providing legal consultation services, and the approval and supervision of outside counsel retained by the Association.

"This appointment completes a national search, and we have hired an outstanding individual and a former general counsel from the University of Michigan," said NCAA Executive Director Cedric W. Dempsey. "Elsa Cole comes to the NCAA with great experience in university administration and an excellent understanding of the issues the Association has to confront."

Since 1989, Cole has served as general counsel at Michigan. There, she had the overall responsibility for providing legal services to and managing and directing all aspects of the legal affairs for the three campuses of the university.

During her tenure at Michigan, Cole was involved in the first defense of a student hate-speech code and a successful challenge to the Internal Revenue Service's interpretation of a student for purposes of FICA withholding. She has specialized in the fields of employment law, student issues and federal constitutional matters and has a national reputation in the areas of sexual-harassment law, student due-process issues and free-speech concerns.

For the past four years, Cole has chaired the state legal officers subcommittee of the President's Council of State Colleges and Universities in Michigan. That group is made up of the chief legal counsel officers of each of the 13 state four-year public universities.

Cole is an active member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA). She is currently involved in leadership roles with the organization as a member of the publications committee and the continuing legal education committee. Cole served on the NACUA Board of Directors from 1988-91 and was the chair of the professional development committee in 1990-91.

She has also been published in several professional journals and publications and is listed in Who's Who in the World, Who's Who of American Women, Who's Who in American Law and Who's Who in the Midwest.