Tamara J. Britt was appointed the inaugural General Counsel of Manhattan College in August 2017. In this capacity she serves as the chief legal officer for the College. Tamara is responsible for providing strategic guidance, consultation, and support on a comprehensive range of legal and associated issues involved in carrying out the College’s mission. In addition, she represents the College’s interests with elected officials and government agencies, serving as adviser on government affairs.
Ms. Britt is a former Associate General Counsel at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey where her practice focused on matters involving: development, foundation/alumni relations, international programs, procurement/purchasing, contracts, student affairs, and employment matters. She also managed litigation related to those specialized areas. Before joining Rutgers, she was an attorney based in the New York office of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, where she specialized in white collar defense, enforcement matters and bankruptcy litigation. Ms. Britt was also active in providing pro bono services to low-income individuals in bankruptcy and housing court proceedings and to nonprofit organizations in New York City. Ms. Britt is a member of the New York and New Jersey Bars and is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for New Jersey and the Southern District of New York.
Ms. Britt has co-authored several articles: Guide to Human Research Subject Protections Laws in West Africa, published in the Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics; At the Border Your Laptop is Wide-Open, published in The National Law Journal; and Why Financial Statements Matter: Enforcement and Litigation Implications, published in The Banking Law Journal. Ms. Britt has been a featured speaker at numerous conferences and seminars. Topics presented include: Social Media and Cybersecurity; Creating Positive Change from Tragedy, Lawsuits and Headlines; and Diversity from Admissions, Financial Aid, to Alumni Relations.
Ms. Britt is an adjunct professor at Rutgers School of Law, where she teaches a course on Higher Education Law. Prior to becoming an attorney, Ms. Britt worked in the nonprofit and higher education sectors.
Ms. Britt received her B.A. with honors from Hampton University, where she was Editor-in-Chief of the Hampton Script, an M.P.A. from George Washington University, where she was a Patricia Roberts Harris Fellow, and a J.D. degree from Rutgers University School of Law, where she was an editor of the Rutgers Law Review and an Eagleton Institute of Politics Fellow.