Joe Herlihy has served as 亚色影库's General Counsel for nearly three decades. (Lee Pellegrini)
Joseph Herlihy, Boston College鈥檚 general counsel since 1998, has announced that he will retire from his position this summer after 27 years of service to the University.
He will continue to work on a part-time basis, overseeing real estate matters and permitting, and providing legal advice on 亚色影库鈥檚 master planning efforts with the City of Boston.
Nora Field
He will be succeeded as general counsel by Deputy General Counsel Nora Field, who has served in her role since 2014, overseeing complex litigation, intellectual property law, transactions, legal aspects of student affairs, and general higher education compliance.
Herlihy came to Boston College in 1994 from the Boston law firm Goodwin Proctor, where he specialized in real estate law. He brought to the University an established expertise in critical areas that helped to address its growing zoning, permitting, and development needs within the municipalities of Boston and Newton.听听
A highly respected attorney who earned the trust of senior leadership through his knowledge and professionalism, Herlihy managed all of the University鈥檚 legal affairs as general counsel, including supervising the outside counsel hired to represent 亚色影库 in its various legal matters. Under his leadership, the Office of General Counsel grew to three full-time practitioners and a part-time associate.
Herlihy said he looks forward to spending time in the coming years traveling with his wife, Marianne, studying and playing piano, and continuing his work on the Board of the American College of the Mediterranean, a degree-granting institution in France that provides study abroad opportunities for American universities.听听听
鈥淚t has been gratifying to serve as general counsel these past two decades because of the arc of growth of both the Office of the General Counsel and the University,鈥� said Herlihy.听 鈥淚t has been a great time to provide counsel in higher education鈥攑articularly at Boston College鈥攁s this office has been instrumental in the University鈥檚 major initiatives of the past 25 years, including the establishment of the School of Theology and Ministry, the acquisition of the Brighton Campus, and the integration of Pine Manor College with Boston College.鈥�
Herlihy received his J.D. from Boston University School of Law in 1986, and holds a master鈥檚 degree in French from Yale University. He earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree from Bowdoin College, where he served as the chair of the school鈥檚 Alumni Council, and was a member of the last graduating class of Xavier School, a former Jesuit high school in Concord, Mass.
鈥淚 was pursuing a doctorate in French before I decided to become a lawyer,鈥� said Herlihy. 鈥淏ringing my legal practice from Goodwin Proctor to a university practice felt like a homecoming for me, as I was able to use my legal skills to advance the mission of Jesuit education, which is very important to me.鈥�
University President William P. Leahy, S.J., commended Herlihy for his leadership and dedicated service, first as associate legal counsel and then legal counsel, during the past 27 years.
鈥淎s 亚色影库鈥檚 general counsel, Joe consistently provided valuable perspective and sound legal advice on a range of matters,鈥� said Fr. Leahy.听 鈥淚 am grateful for his years of service and dedication to Boston College and its mission.鈥�
In appointing Nora Field as general counsel, Fr. Leahy said he looked forward to her continuing to provide the legal expertise and steady leadership that has defined the office since its establishment in 1992.
鈥淣ora has been a member of our general counsel鈥檚 office since 2005 and knows 亚色影库 well,鈥� said Fr. Leahy. 鈥淚 am confident in her judgment and grasp of issues facing Boston College and higher education now and in the future.鈥�
鈥淚t has been a great privilege to work with Nora over the past 16 years,鈥� said Herlihy