Longtime University Vice President and General Counsel Dorothy Robinson will depart her post at the end of August.

Robinson, who arrived at Yale in 1978 as the first attorney appointed to the newly formed Office of General Counsel, has served in her current post as the University’s chief legal counsel for 29 years.

“It is difficult for me to think of Yale without Dorothy, as we have worked closely for more than a decade, and I have come to rely on her for the deep wisdom and guidance that she has so freely shared with deans, directors, and Yale’s presidents,” University President Peter Salovey said in an email sent to Yale’s officers, deans and directors Wednesday.

Robinson’s work as general counsel has spanned Yale. She has worked for five Yale presidents and played a leading role in supporting an array of University initiatives, including partnerships with New Haven, research collaborations, online education and the return of ROTC to Yale.

Robinson has also maintained responsibility since 2007 for overseeing Yale’s relations with the federal government.

In 1995, Robinson was the second woman to be appointed a vice president of the University.

Salovey said that although Robinson will step down at the end of August, she will stay on as a counselor through the fall of 2014 and winter of 2015 to ensure a smooth transition to her successor.

Although no timeline has yet been announced for naming Robinson’s successor, Salovey solicited suggestions for Yale’s next general counsel in his email to the Yale’s officers, deans and directors.