Kent State Associate Counsel Earns Professional Award for Higher Education Law Practice

Kent State University Associate Counsel Michael Pfahl was conferred with the National Association of College and University Attorneys’ (NACUA) First Decade award at the association’s annual conference in Philadelphia, Pa., on June 19. The award recognizes outstanding service to the association and to the practice of higher education law.

Pfahl, a graduate of Kent State and the University of Akron School of Law, has been a member of the NACUA for six years. He serves in Kent State’s Office of General Counsel with responsibilities that include immigration, international law issues, university policy development, contract administration, affiliation agreements, student conduct issues and more.

“The award is really humbling and means a lot to me as an attorney in higher education,” Pfahl says. “I owe it all to the opportunities I've been given at Kent State University and the encouraging dynamic of our office to continue to strive for excellence in our profession and in our daily activities. It is a great organization, and I am truly honored.”

Pfahl began his career as a journalist before going to law school. He also has a Human Resource Studies certification from Cornell University School of Labor and Industrial Relations.  

As an active member of the NACUA, Pfahl has served as speaker, moderator, forum and discussion group leader for the association’s educational programs, including roles on several committees.  He currently serves on the association’s editorial board and has previously served on the editorial board of the Journal of College and University Law.

In conferring Pfahl with the First Decade award, members of the association describe him on the association’s website as a professional “who works for the betterment of the higher education law profession.” Pfahl’s colleagues also describe him as someone who has “an exceptional understanding of the intricacies of the rapidly growing and challenging area of immigration law.”

“I stay active because the profession itself encourages collaboration for the betterment of higher education in general. I am simply trying to follow the example set by others in the organization,” Pfahl says.

For more information about Kent State’s Office of General Counsel, visit www.kent.edu/universitycounsel.

For more information about the National Association of College and University Attorneys, visit www.nacua.org.