University of St. Thomas announces the appointment of Gita P. Bolt, J.D., as in-house legal counsel. Bolt, a Houston native, recently served as the Vice President and General Counsel for the Houston Housing Authority.

The position of in-house counsel is new to UST.

“Higher education is my passion. I look forward to utilizing my 20+ years of higher education legal experience to assist the UST team as we work together to achieve the dynamic vision and goals for the University and the transition of the University to the next level,” Bolt said.

Bolt attended Howard University, cum laude, with a degree in political science and a minor in business administration. At Howard, Bolt competed on the track team and was an Academic All-American. She earned her Juris Doctorate degree from Tulane University School of Law, along with a Sports Law Certification. While attending Tulane Law, Bolt was honored as the Best Orator of the Southern Region in the Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competition.

In 2011, Bolt was selected as one of the Most Powerful and Influential Women of Louisiana by the National Diversity Council. In 2018, she was named as one of the Top 30 Most Influential Women of Houston.

Prior to the Housing Authority, Gita was General Counsel for Loyola University New Orleans and Texas Southern University (TSU). She also held the positions of Associate General Counsel, Assistant General Counsel, and Director of NCAA Compliance in the Department of Athletics, while at TSU. Prior to Texas Southern, Gita was an Assistant Attorney General for the Office of the Attorney General.