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Sharon Reich Paulsen earned her Bachelor of Arts in Economics, summa cum laude, from Yale University, and her Juris Doctorate from Stanford Law School, where she was note editor of the Stanford Law Review and received the Board of Editors Award for her editorial contributions.

After clerking for the Honorable Harlington Wood Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, she joined the U.S. Department of Justice through the Civil Division Honors Program and served as a trial attorney, primarily engaged in constitutional litigation. She later joined the Business Litigation Department of Faegre & Benson (now Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP) in Minneapolis, where she handled a wide range of business and employment disputes, until she entered academia as Associate Dean at the University of Minnesota Law School.

As Associate Dean, Ms. Paulsen revamped the University of Minnesota Law School’s legal writing program and trial practice program, created a new moot court program, a new civil litigation concentration, a Master of Science in Patent Law program, and a summer mock trial institute. For the majority of her time at the law school, she also served as Senior Associate Dean for Administration, overseeing all aspects of the administrative operation, including admissions and career services, and she advised the dean on innovation, strategic planning, and experiential learning. Teaching responsibilities included Conflict of Laws, Trial Practice, Judicial Externship, and a variety of litigation-related courses.

Ms. Paulsen took a leave from the law school from 2004 to 2011 to serve as Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Chief of Staff to the Provost of the University of Minnesota. As AVP for Academic Affairs, she played a leading role in overseeing and implementing the academic side of the university’s system-wide strategic planning effort. As chief advisor to the provost, she was the liaison with senior campus academic and administrative leaders, ensuring effective implementation of academic initiatives, handling grievances and legal issues, preparing and implementing the annual work plan for the Office of the Provost, and supervising all professional and support staff as well as daily management and operations in the Provost’s Office. She returned to the position of Associate Dean at the University of Minnesota Law School in 2012.

Ms. Paulsen has taught in China and Sweden, and has traveled five times to Uzbekistan to engage in rule of law work funded by the U.S. State Department. She has served on numerous boards, including the Lawyer’s Professional Responsibility Board in Minnesota. She is an elected member of the American Law Institute and the American Bar Foundation.

Ms. Paulsen joined the leadership team at ¶¶Òõ̽̽ in 2016. From 2022-2024, she served in senior leadership positions at The George Washington University, before returning to ¶¶Òõ̽̽ as Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel, and Senior Advisor to the President.

John J. Collins joined the ¶¶Òõ̽̽ General Counsel’s Office in October 2016. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Rutgers University and a Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, where he was a member of the Loyola Law Review. Mr. Collins has been practicing law in the State of Vermont since 1983, advising a broad clientele, including ¶¶Òõ̽̽ and other Vermont Colleges. Mr. Collins chaired the State of Vermont District #4, Act 250 Commission for several years and has been a highly active volunteer member of several not-for-profit boards and committees. He served as chair of the Vermont Heart Association Board of Directors and as a member of the American Heart Association’s Board of Directors. Mr. Collins has taught law related courses at the college level and is a nationally certified snowboard instructor.

Jennifer L. Papillo, a native Vermonter, joined the Office of the General Counsel in August 2010, and was promoted to Associate General Counsel in 2015. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Elon University, a Juris Doctor degree from Stetson University College of Law, as well as a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center, with a focus on tax exempt organizations. Jennifer is a frequent speaker and author at the national and regional level on issues related to student conduct, managing distressed and disruptive students, admissions practices, campus disruption, the First Amendment, political activities, taxation, Title IX, the Clery Act, FERPA, and the ADA. Jennifer is an active member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA), a member of the ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Legal Issues Board of Directors, and a contributor to the SUNY Title IX Joint Guidance Initiative. Jennifer also serves as President of the Junior League of Champlain Valley (JLCV) and JLCV Diaper Bank, a fully volunteer run organization with statewide reach distributing diapers and wipes to low income Vermonters. Before coming to ¶¶Òõ̽̽, Jennifer served as a law clerk for the American Cancer Society, Inc.’s Office of Corporation Counsel in Washington, DC, and a research assistant to Peter F. Lake in the writing of Beyond Discipline: Managing the Modern Higher Education Environment (Hierophant Enterprises, Inc., 2009).

Meghan E. Siket joined the ¶¶Òõ̽̽ General Counsel’s Office in June 2018 and currently serves as Associate General Counsel. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and international relations from Connecticut College and a Juris Doctorate from Columbia University.Ìý Ms. Siket was born and raised across Lake Champlain in Clinton County, NY.Ìý Before coming to ¶¶Òõ̽̽, Ms. Siket was a partner at Whelan, Corrente, Flanders, Kinder & Siket, LLP, a law firm in Providence, Rhode Island specializing in labor and employment law, education law and related litigation.Ìý Ms. Siket also taught employment law and employment discrimination as an adjunct professor at Roger Williams University School of Law, and served on the Executive Board of the Roger Williams University School of Law Pro Bono Collaborative.

Andrew G. Zehner joined the Office of the General Counsel in August 2021, and currently serves as Associate General Counsel. He received a B.A. degree in American Civilization from Middlebury College, an M.A. degree in History from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a Juris Doctor with Honors from the University of Maryland, School of Law where he served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Maryland Journal of International Law and Trade. Andrew has almost twenty-nine years of experience providing counsel to a wide variety of clients, including universities, life sciences companies, and telecommunications and information technology businesses. Prior to his work at ¶¶Òõ̽̽, Andrew was Associate General Counsel at the University of Pennsylvania and Associate Vice President and Counsel at the University of Connecticut.

Katie Beneke, Paralegal

Katie Beneke joined the Office of the General Counsel in January of 2018. Ms. Beneke began her career as a staff assistant at Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew, P.C. in Burlington, before being promoted to legal assistant then paralegal in the Real Estate department. In 2014, Ms. Beneke shifted her area of concentration to Family Law, where she worked as the head paralegal at a top law firm in Old Greenwich, Connecticut. Upon moving back to Vermont, Ms. Beneke worked as a litigation paralegal at Sheehey, Furlong & Behm, P.C., another Burlington law firm.

Ms. Beneke received her Bachelor’s Degree from ¶¶Òõ̽̽ in 2009 and her Paralegal Certification from Champlain College in 2012.

Jen Dooley, Office Manager

Jen Dooley joined the Office of the General Counsel in May of 2019. She came to the office from the First Congregational Church of Essex Junction where she was the Administrator for seven years. Previous to that, she worked as a Librarian, Public and School in Essex and Milton. Ms. Dooley received her Bachelor’s Degree from St. Michael’s College in 1990 and her Librarian Certificate in 2008. She loves to read, camp and watch soccer with her husband and has three sons who have provided many adventures over the years.