UofL hires new top lawyer and strategy advisor

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville Board of Trustees today approved the appointment of Leslie Chambers Strohm as vice president for strategy and general counsel. She begins her new position Feb. 2, 2015.

Strohm has 30 years of experience representing universities and academic medical centers in the public and private sectors. She comes to UofL from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she was vice chancellor and general counsel.

“Leslie’s expertise and experience will be invaluable as we continue our upward trajectory during difficult financial times,”said James Ramsey, UofL president. “We look forward to Leslie sharing her legal, business and problem-solving expertise with our leadership team.”

During her 11 year tenure at UNC-Chapel Hill, Strohm was a member of the senior management team advising on issues ranging from civil rights cases to strategic initiatives involving online learning models, budget cuts, operational efficiencies and campus safety. At UofL, Strohm will advise the president on strategic issues and oversee and coordinate all legal activities for the university and related entities.

“I am excited about joining the University of Louisville and being part of a team that is putting its goals and dreams into action,” said Strohm. “It will be great fun to work on creative initiatives that serve the students, the Louisville community and Kentucky. I can’t wait to get started.”

Prior to UNC-Chapel Hill, Strohm was a partner in Sonnenschein Nath and Rosenthal (now Dentons), one of the nation’s leading law firms. Strohm’s clients included a public university that merged its faculty practice plan with two teaching hospitals. She gained experience dealing with higher education legal issues while working in Washington University’s office of general counsel from 1984 to 1993 and rose to the position of acting general counsel.

Strohm was inducted into the prestigious Order of the Coif and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Michigan law school. She earned her undergraduate degree from DePauw University where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest academic honor society.