Dear Members of the Brown Community,

I’m pleased to share that Sandhya L. Iyer, an accomplished attorney who brings extensive legal and management expertise across multiple sectors and currently serves as Dartmouth College’s chief legal officer, has been appointed senior vice president and general counsel at Brown. In her role, Sandhya will serve as Brown’s chief legal officer, advising the University’s senior leaders, members of the Brown Corporation, and faculty and staff colleagues on a broad range of legal and strategic matters. She’ll lead the team of attorneys and staff members in the Office of the General Counsel.

Among an excellent pool of candidates for the position, Sandhya stood out for her clear, creative and supportive approach to providing counsel on everything from academic affairs, finance and policy development to litigation, compliance and risk management. As Dartmouth’s chief legal officer since 2017, she has served as legal advisor to the president, Board of Trustees, senior leadership team, and faculty and staff members acting on behalf of Dartmouth. She advises on academic and business transactions and oversees litigation and administrative proceedings spanning the college’s undergraduate liberal arts program, graduate and professional schools, research enterprise, and administrative operations. Since Fall 2023, Sandhya has also served as secretary to Dartmouth’s Board of Trustees, supporting its timely, informed and effective decision-making in accordance with Dartmouth’s mission and strategic priorities.

From 2008 to 2017, Sandhya served as Oberlin College’s first general counsel and secretary, inaugurating a new model for delivering in-house legal services focused on strengthening Oberlin’s educational programs and administrative operations. Earlier, she was chief attorney for the U.S. Department of Education Cleveland Office for Civil Rights (from 2005 to 2008), and worked in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section (from 2000 to 2005), where she ultimately served as special counsel. At those agencies, she received seven awards for her work managing teams investigating and remedying civil rights violations by a range of entities, including educational institutions.

Prior to her work with the federal government, Sandhya served as policy counsel for the National Partnership for Women and Families (formerly the Women's Legal Defense Fund) from 1998 to 2000. There, she worked to improve family and medical leave policies at the state and federal level, and co-authored an amicus curiae brief for a U.S. Supreme Court case recognizing a Title IX cause of action for peer sexual harassment.

Sandhya holds a bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in chemistry and women's studies from Yale University and a J.D. from Yale Law School, and she clerked for Judge Sidney Thomas of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She has served on the board of directors of the National Association of College and University Attorneys and the board of the Yale Law Journal.

With experience at the U.S. education and justice departments and more than 15 years as chief legal officer for two world-class higher education institutions, Sandhya brings an accomplished track record and a deep understanding for the legal intricacies of higher education. Just as importantly, she offers the leadership, integrity and collaborative approach needed to successfully advance Brown priorities and navigate the legal implications of important higher education issues that impact our campus.

Sandhya will begin her role in October, serving as an integral and trusted member of the President's Cabinet.

I’m grateful to those who participated in the search and for the ongoing leadership of Deputy General Counsel Jim Green, who will continue his role as interim vice president and general counsel until Sandhya’s arrival.

Sincerely,
Christina H. Paxson
President