Abbey Richards

Abbey V. Richards serves as Senior Counsel in the Office of the Vice President and General Counsel at the George Washington University. She has been part of the office since 2003, starting as a law clerk and advancing through the ranks to her present role, where she regularly advises senior leaders on a wide range of issues impacting higher education. ^[1][2]

Richards's principal areas of focus include non-profit governance and compliance, business and banking transactions, non-profit taxation, international issues, conflicts of interest, research compliance, and general contract review. For several years she also taught a course in Higher Education Law and Politics at Drexel University's Graduate School of Education. ^[1][2]

Richards holds a B.A. in International and Area Studies from the University of Oklahoma and both a J.D. and an M.A. in International Affairs from the George Washington University. ^[2]

She joined NACUA in 2005 and has served on several committees, including multi-year terms on the Committee on Finance and Audit, the Committee on Strategic Planning, the Committee on Membership and Member Services, and the Committee on Program for Annual Conference. She has spoken several times at NACUA conferences and workshops and serves on the NACUA Board of Directors. ^[2]

Recognition

• Board of Directors — National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA) (2025) ^[2]