Egan named interim general counsel as Steffens announces retirement

Florida State University President Eric J. Barron on Nov. 22 named university Associate General Counsel Carolyn Egan to the position of interim general counsel, effective Jan. 1. Egan will fill the position being vacated by Betty Steffens, the university’s general counsel and special counsel to the president since 2003. Steffens recently announced her retirement, effective Dec. 31.

Egan is no stranger to Florida State, having served as associate general counsel for the past four years. In that role, she has been FSU’s lead attorney on a number of issues, particularly those pertaining to labor relations and employment law. She also holds two degrees from Florida State, having earned her law degree in 1998 and a Bachelor of Science degree in communication in 1994.

Prior to returning to Florida State to accept her current position, Egan was a partner with Johnson Anselmo Murdoch Burke Piper & McDuff, P.A., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm focusing primarily on defending public employers in employment discrimination, wage and hour, and civil rights litigation, arbitration and appeals; and conducting U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigations and responding to charges of discrimination on behalf of public employers.

Steffens also is a product of FSU’s College of Law, having earned her law degree in 1975. She began her 10-year career at Florida State under President Bernie Sliger before going to work in the general counsel’s offices of governors Reubin Askew and Bob Graham.

T.K. Wetherell brought Steffens back to the university as general counsel when he was named president in 2003. In that position, Steffens has overseen an office with seven attorneys, as well as two additional attorneys at the FSU Foundation.