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Dona Hamilton Cornell became vice chancellor for legal affairs and general counsel for the University of Houston System and vice president for legal affairs and general counsel for the University of Houston in 2002.  In this role, she is responsible for system legal services in all areas including contracts and conveyances, employment law, constitutional law, real estate, intellectual property, federal research, tax, gift acquisitions and other matters applicable to higher education law.  Prior to her appointment, she served as deputy chief of the General Litigation Division for the Texas Attorney General's office.

Cornell joined the Office of Texas Attorney General in 1987 as assistant attorney general in the General Litigation Division. She left that position in 1992 to become a shareholder in the Austin-based Morehead, Jordan & Carmona law firm, where she had a litigation practice focusing on insurance and deceptive trade practices as well as general business disputes. She returned to the Attorney General's office in 1995 and became deputy chief of the General Litigation Division in 1996. 

Cornell earned her undergraduate and law degrees from The University of Texas at Austin. Prior to receiving her law degree, she served as a committee clerk and legislative aide in the Texas Legislature. She is licensed to practice law in Texas and is a member of the bars of the U.S. District Courts of all four federal districts in Texas and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans.