Tori L. Winfield joined the University in 2016 as Associate General Counsel and serves as primary legal counsel to the Office of the Provost and Division of Academic Affairs. In that capacity, Ms. Winfield advises the Provost, Deans, and other academic administrators on matters including compliance with laws, regulations, and policies governing employment and contractual relationships. She is also the primary legal advisor to the University Police Department, Human Resources, and other institutional clients.
Ms. Winfield graduated with honors from the University of Miami and obtained her Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida where she also received the Book Award in Legal Research & Writing. Prior to joining the University, Ms. Winfield was employed as Senior Litigation Counsel for a national multi-line insurer where she directly handled and supervised litigation in the Southeast, an associate at regional defense firms where she specialized in employment law, and a law clerk to United States District Court Judge Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. Ms. Winfield is an avid public speaker who routinely advised clients on federal and state employment laws and was selected by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to speak at its training seminars on varying topics in Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. She is the author of various training materials and an article published in the Florida Bar Journal. Ms. Winfield is licensed to practice in Florida and Mississippi, enjoys an AV Preeminent rating, and is a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys.