Senior Vice President and General Counsel Judith Sizer will be stepping down at the end of this month after almost 22 years at the University to join the education practice at Rose, Chinitz & Rose, a Boston law firm. Deputy General Counsel Steven Locke will take Sizer's place as general counsel following confirmation of his appointment by the Board of Trustees in January, as confirmed by Senior Vice President of Communications Ellen de Graffenreid.

In addition to Sizer's departure, a reorganization will take place. The general counsel's office will now be overseen by Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff David Bunis '83. Bunis will serve as the University's chief risk management officer and will continue to oversee the Office of Institutional Research. He will also continue to serve as assistant secretary and clerk of the Corporation of Brandeis University. Bunis' new title will be senior vice president and chief legal officer, according to de Graffenreid in an email to the Justice.

Sizer wrote in an email to the Justice that she will serve at Rose, Chinitz & Rose as the senior counsel, representing educational institutions and other nonprofits.

Prior to her role as senior vice president and general counsel, Sizer wrote that she held the positions of assistant general counsel from 1992 to 1994, associate general counsel from 1995 to 1998 and deputy general counsel from 1999 to 2000. She was named general counsel in 2000 and senior vice president in 2007.

"I had been thinking about my 'life after Brandeis' for some time, and the chance to practice with excellent lawyers for a variety of educational and non-profit clients in a boutique law firm setting was too attractive to resist," Sizer wrote regarding her reasons for leaving the University.

However, Sizer wrote that she will "always treasure" her time at Brandeis. "Brandeis is a remarkable place, and I have had many very happy years here, working with some brilliant and cherished staff, faculty and trustee colleagues to support the University and its community," she wrote.

Locke's career at the University began on Sept. 30, 2005 when he took on the role of associate general counsel, Locke wrote in an email to the Justice. He was promoted to deputy general counsel in 2012. Prior to joining Brandeis, he was general counsel at the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination from 2001 to 2005.

In regard to the reasons for restructuring in administration, de Graffenreid wrote that "Sizer's decision to join Rose, Chinitz & Rose provided an opportunity to look at the organizational structure and determine what might work best for Brandeis at this time."

In addition to his other responsibilities, Bunis wrote in an email to the Justice that he will be involved more directly in providing legal advice, managing outside counsel and managing the University's legal affairs.
"Given the expertise already in place with David Bunis-a recognized attorney here in Boston-in the SVP and Chief of Staff position and our ongoing efforts to be as efficient and effective as possible in Brandeis' administration, it made sense to add some duties to his job description," de Graffenreid continued.

According to Bunis, managing the University's legal affairs and risk management functions will be his responsibility going forward. "We are constantly assessing Brandeis' needs and looking for ways to be as efficient and effective as possible," he wrote.