Kelly Hendricken joined the State University of New York Office of General Counsel in 2018 and currently serves as Managing Counsel for Student Affairs. As Managing Counsel, Kelly provides legal support for all State-operated campuses supported by the System Administration office, where she leads the Student Affairs Practice Group (SAPG). Kelly also provides other specialized legal support to SUNY System Administration in regard to various policies and practice areas, including residency for in-state tuition purposes and name, image and likeness issues for student-athletes. Kelly provides legal advice in the areas of student affairs including Title IX and First Amendment issues, labor and employment, litigation, statutory interpretation, federal and state legislation and regulation, copyright, and others.
Prior to SUNY, Kelly served as the Director and Counsel of the New York State Senate Higher Education Committee for Chairman Senator Kenneth P. LaValle, where her portfolio included matters relating to all colleges and universities in the public and private sectors of higher education, as well as all licensed professions under Title VIII of the Education Law. Kelly wrote legislation, provided policy analysis on matters concerning the Higher Education portfolio, participated in State Budget negotiations, and worked with legislative offices to negotiate legislation in the Committee. Prior to that, Kelly was a legislative fellow for the New York State Senate Graduate Fellowship Program, where she worked with Senator Martin J. Golden, the Chair of the Senate Civil Service and Pensions Committee.
A native of Long Island, Kelly received her Juris Doctor from Albany Law School and is a proud graduate of SUNY Geneseo, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in English (Creative Writing Track) and Psychology. As a SUNY Geneseo student, Kelly conducted psychological research on issues related to adolescent development and sexual and interpersonal violence, and was Green Dot trained in bystander intervention.