Paul A. Meggett joined the UMBC team as Vice President and General Counsel in September 2024. Before that, he served as general counsel at Appalachian State University in Boone, where he successfully launched and ran a Division of Institutional Integrity, comprising enterprise-wide legal, risk, and compliance functions, helping to drive institutional excellence and a comprehensive approach in those areas. Paul has deep and broad experience in all aspects of higher education law and in leading such work at public institutions.
He spent more than a decade as in-house counsel at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a top-tier public research university. Paul also served as in-house counsel at UNC Health, an integrated healthcare system of 11 hospitals and more than 33,000 employees. He has also been a law professor and an interim law dean.
Paul earned his bachelor’s degree from North Carolina State University and his law degree from UNC School of Law. After graduating from law school, he clerked for Chief Justice Burley B. Mitchell Jr. of the North Carolina Supreme Court. In 2023, Paul was awarded the John B. McMillan Distinguished Service Award from the North Carolina State Bar.
Ashley Hoover joined the UMBC Office of General Counsel in July 2025 as Senior Special Counsel, bringing extensive experience in higher education law.
Before joining UMBC, Ashley served as Associate General Counsel at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, where she focused on sponsored research, institutional research compliance, experiential learning and graduate medical education, and clinical services as part of the Healthcare and Research Practice Group, and provided counsel on procurement, privacy, and real estate matters within the Business Transactions and Commercial Matters Practice Group.
Previously, Ashley was Senior Associate General Counsel at Towson University in Towson, Maryland, where she advised all university administrative divisions and academic units on a broad range of legal topics and served as principal legal counsel for transactional matters at the institution. Prior to her tenure at Towson University, Ashley advised on contracting and compliance within Johns Hopkins University’s research administration enterprise and spent several years in private practice handling general corporate representation as well as complex business and commercial real estate transactions.
Ashley earned her Juris Doctor from Gonzaga University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in Journalism from McDaniel College. Ashley is admitted to practice in Maryland.
Patrick Sheridan joined the Office of General Counsel in July of 2025 as Senior Associate General Counsel for Labor and Employment. In this role, he provides legal advice, representation, and strategic guidance on a broad range of employment-related matters, including faculty and staff issues, workplace investigations, collective bargaining, compliance with employment laws, and employment litigation. He works closely with UMBC leadership, the Department of Human Resources and Strategic Talent Management, and other campus partners to develop policies, resolve disputes, and promote fair and legally sound employment practices.
Before joining UMBC, Patrick served as Senior Counsel in the Maryland Office of the Attorney General’s Higher Education Division, litigating cases on behalf of University System of Maryland institutions in state and federal court and administrative proceedings. His work encompassed employment and student matters, constitutional issues, tort and contract claims, and regulatory compliance. In this role, he regularly collaborated with campus counsel, administrators, and state officials.
Prior to joining the Higher Education Division, Patrick worked in the Office of the Attorney General’s Contract Litigation Unit, where he represented state agencies in procurement protests, bid disputes, and contract claims before the Maryland State Board of Contract Appeals and in state courts. In addition to litigation, he advised agency officials on procurement processes and contract management to ensure compliance with complex state regulations.
Patrick earned his Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from Fordham University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Notre Dame Law School. He is admitted to practice law in Maryland.
John Burke joined the Office of General Counsel in 2023. John advises and supports university clients on a wide variety of matters, including contracts, campus governance, regulatory compliance, faculty and staff issues, student affairs, public records, and university policies and procedures.
Before joining UMBC, John was deputy general counsel for Harford County Public Schools, associate counsel for Baltimore City Public Schools, and coordinator of legal and labor relations for Washington County Public Schools. John handled all legal matters for these local education agencies, including contracts, policies and procedures, employment, student affairs, school governance and support, safety and security issues, regulatory compliance, board governance, public records, defending union grievances, and representation in appeals before the Board of Education and Maryland State Board of Education.
Prior to that, John was associate general counsel for a national health and fitness retail company, specializing in contract, employment, compliance, and regulatory affairs. John’s work included representation before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, State Attorney General commissions, and several state Division of Human Rights.
John earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Georgetown University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. John is admitted to practice law in Maryland.
Allison Smart joined the Office of General Counsel in July 2025 as the Assistant General Counsel. Before joining UMBC, Allison was an Assistant Attorney General in the Maryland Office of the Attorney General, where she advised the State Department of Assessments and Taxation and represented the agency in the Maryland Tax Court and state circuit courts. Prior to that, Allison was a Civil Litigation and Real Estate associate at a Southern Maryland law firm, and served as Senior Law Clerk to Chief Judge E. Gregory Wells of the Appellate Court of Maryland.
Allison earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies with a minor in Journalism from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, her master’s degree in Applied Sociology here at UMBC, and her law degree from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.
Prior to attending law school, Allison spent eight years working in the office of the general counsel for an international publishing company.
Allison currently serves as the President-Elect of the Calvert County Bar Association, the secretary of the Calvert Library Foundation, and as a member of the Judicial Nominating Commission for District 12 of Maryland.
Ashtian Chester joined the Office of General Counsel in December 2025 as Senior Paralegal. She brings more than a decade of experience supporting complex legal and institutional operations across healthcare, litigation, and technology environments.
Before joining UMBC, Ashtian served as an Information Technology Paralegal at the University of Maryland Medical System, where she analyzed and negotiated Master Technology Agreements and supported a range of technology‑related contracting needs. She has also held senior paralegal roles at several Maryland law firms, assisting partners and associates in high‑volume, complex matters involving medical malpractice, birth injury, personal injury, and mass tort litigation.
Ashtian earned her Bachelor of Science in Paralegal Studies from Stevenson University. Her background includes extensive experience with trial preparation in multiple jurisdictions, as well as strong technical proficiency and advanced document management skills. She brings a detail‑oriented, solutions‑focused approach to supporting the legal and operational needs of the office.
Ashtian is driven to cultivate a thriving workplace through the formation of operations, thus providing supportive, engaged, and strategic legal guidance to the higher education community.
Chelsey A. Anderson is an accomplished higher education operations leader with over a decade of experience in university administration, strategic planning, and financial management. Since April 2025, she has served as the Director of Legal Operations at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), where she drives operational modernization within the Office of General Counsel. In this inaugural role, Chelsey leads strategic initiatives, implements legal technology solutions, develops performance metrics, and manages outside counsel relationships, all while fostering a high-performing operations team and cross-functional collaboration across campus.
Prior to joining UMBC, Chelsey held several leadership roles at American University (AU), including Director of Administrative Operations in the Office of the Vice President, General Counsel, and Board Secretary. Her work there focused on optimizing departmental efficiency and supporting Board of Trustees operations. She also served as Associate Director of the AU Museum and Director of Special Events for the College of Arts and Sciences, earning campus-wide recognition for her innovation and service to the university community.
Chelsey brings deep expertise in organizational development, team leadership, and operational strategy, with a strong focus on building scalable systems and fostering cross-functional collaboration. Her MA in Arts Management (2016) laid the foundation for her ability to design and lead complex organizational initiatives, blending analytical insight with creative problem-solving. Combined with her MFA in Studio Art (2022) and BFA in Painting, Drawing & Printmaking (2012), Chelsey’s artistic background informs her imaginative and human-centered approach to leadership in higher education.