I am delighted to announce the appointment of Lorena Peñaloza as chief campus counsel.
Lorena's impressive background includes experience in public higher education, as well as city and federal government.
Lorena joins us from the California State University system's Office of General Counsel, where she has worked since 2008, most recently as University Counsel for Sonoma State University and Humboldt State University. She previously served on the office's litigation team, where she handled a variety of systemwide and campus-based matters in state and federal courts. She also served as a resource attorney on matters including residency, police, and student discipline.
Prior to joining CSU, Lorena was an assistant city attorney for the City of Santa Ana. She began her legal career with the Social Security Administration’s Office of the General Counsel in Maryland. She worked in various federal departments, including the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, and served two years in the administration's Office of General Law, litigating employment law matters before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Federal Labor Relations Authority, and the Merit Systems Protection Board.
Lorena earned her B.A. in sociology and political economies of industrial societies from the University of California, Berkeley, and her J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.
Lorena succeeds Michael Troncoso, who joined the UC Office of the President last April. I want to thank Associate Campus Counsel Liv Hassett for the excellent support she provided as interim chief campus counsel during the recruitment.
Lorena's first day on campus will be March 1.
