Donica Thomas Varner

Donica Thomas Varner is the Vice President and General Counsel of Cornell University. As university counsel, she represents and advises all Cornell boards, senior officers, and other officials and units. She oversees offices in Ithaca and New York City, leading over 20 attorneys and other professional staff who provide in-house legal services. 

With 30 years of combined experience also representing two public research universities, a private residential liberal arts college, and corporate clients, Donica is a seasoned litigator,  labor and employment law subject matter expert, and a proven higher education thought leader. She has a comprehensive understanding of the complexity of the many laws and regulations affecting colleges and universities, with unique expertise in constitutional law, civil rights, student privacy, student affairs, immigration, crisis management, and emergency preparedness planning. Donica is a trusted advisor of university presidents and boards. She leverages interpersonal and project management skills to bring professionals together to creatively problem solve, to develop transformational solutions that reflect the client’s mission and core values, and to contribute to the advancement of diverse, equitable, and inclusive academic communities.

From 2017-2021, Donica served as the Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary at Oberlin College & Conservatory where she managed Oberlin’s legal and compliance programs and corporate secretary functions.  Donica earned her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School after graduating from North Carolina State University with a degree in political science.  She is a fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.