Suffolk University has named Thomas Dorer, an attorney with vast experience in higher education, to the position of general counsel.

Dorer joined the University Feb. 21 from the law firm of Jackson Lewis, where he was coleader of the firm’s national higher education group. Before joining Jackson Lewis, Dorer served as vice president, general counsel and secretary for the University of Hartford and as general counsel for West Virginia University. At both universities he served as chief legal officer and as a member of the senior administrative team, and he was responsible for the full scope of legal issues affecting higher education in such areas as institutional governance, employment law, contracts, student and academic affairs, Title IX, governmental relations, regulatory compliance and intercollegiate athletics.

Dorer also has served as an associate counsel at the University of Massachusetts’ five-campus system. His focus on higher education law began when he was an associate at Dow, Lohnes & Albertson in Washington, DC. Dorer started his legal career as a clerk for the Hon. Anne E. Thompson, U.S. District Court, Trenton, NJ.

“Tom Dorer brings exceptional achievements and acumen in the realm of higher education law, and we are delighted to welcome him to Suffolk,” said Suffolk University Acting President Marisa Kelly. “He will be a valuable asset as the University embraces the opportunities and challenges of the coming years.”

“I am thrilled to be joining Suffolk University at this point in its history and working with my new colleagues on the many fascinating legal issues affecting academia today,” said Dorer,

Dorer is the coauthor of articles on a variety of topics, including transgender rights, and affirmative action. He has spoken at national and regional conferences and in webinars on such topics as Title IX, academic freedom, disability law, affirmative action, employee benefits, legal ethics, intellectual property, and personnel administration.

He holds a JD from the University of California, Berkeley; an EdM from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, and a BA from Brown University.