University of Michigan President Domenico Grasso announced the two-year contractual appointment of Patty Petrowski to University vice president and general counsel Wednesday morning. Petrowski has served as the associate vice president and deputy general counsel in the Office of the Vice President and General Counsel since 2014, and will replace Timothy G. Lynch, who recently accepted a position as vice president and general counsel for Stanford University. Petrowski’s general counsel term will begin Aug. 26.
The two-year appointment awaits approval from the University’s Board of Regents. In the press release announcing the appointment, Board Chair Michael J. Behm (D) wrote Lynch has navigated a series of complex legal affairs since the beginning of his tenure in 2013.
“(Lynch’s) deep legal expertise, professionalism, and steady leadership have helped guide the university through some of its most consequential moments at a particularly challenging time for higher education,” Behm wrote.
Petrowski’s experience with the OVPGC includes providing legal guidance for policy surrounding University research and administrative actions — such as issues related to Title IX, Title VI, federal research guidelines and compliance with federal orders on higher education.
Pending regent approval, Petrowski will enter her appointment amid several ongoing University affairs requiring legal counsel, including U-M athletics investigations, the indictment of pro-Palestine student activists and the development of a data center in Ypsilanti Township.
In the press release, Petrowski wrote that representing the University as general counsel is a critical role for protecting access to higher education.
“As a first-generation college graduate, I have experienced firsthand the transformative power of higher education,” Petrowski wrote. “That experience motivates my commitment to advancing the University of Michigan’s mission and building on the remarkable momentum Tim and our team have created together.”
Summer News Editor Kylie Harmala can be reached at kharmala@umich.edu.
