Southern Methodist University announced Wednesday that it has selected its next chief legal officer.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher partner Sophie Rohnke will officially join SMU on August 1 as vice president for legal affairs and government relations, general counsel, and secretary to the Board of Trustees. She succeeds Paul Ward, who announced his retirement earlier this year.
“One of our top priorities is a relentless focus on attracting more exceptionally talented faculty, staff and students to SMU, and Sophie is a great example of what we are hoping to accomplish,” SMU President Jay C. Hartzell said in a statement. “Her intelligence, principled leadership, breadth of expertise, connection with our mission, and experience with our institution make her an ideal choice to join our leadership team.”
Hartzell also noted in a LinkedIn post that “thanks to the previous counsel she has provided to SMU, she brings a strong understanding of the University, our mission, and the opportunities and challenges facing higher education today.”
Rohnke said she is thrilled to join SMU at “such an exciting time in the University’s history.”
“From my earliest conversations with SMU’s leadership, it was clear that the University’s vision, strong sense of community, and commitment to excellence and impact set it apart.”
Rohnke received a Bachelor of Arts degree in jurisprudence from the University of Oxford and earned a Master of Laws degree from Harvard. She started her legal career in New York practicing at Freshfields and Sullivan & Cromwell. She has been at Gibson Dunn for the past seven years as a member of the firm’s Consumer Protection and Privacy, Cybersecurity and Data Innovation Practice Groups.