Dawn S. Theodora is the interim Executive Vice Chancellor and General Counsel for the California State University—the largest and most diverse public university system in the country reflecting all communities in the State of California. She also serves as Secretary to the CSU Board of Trustees.
In this role, Ms. Theodora leads the Office of General Counsel and oversees all legal services provided to the CSU’s 22 universities, the Chancellor, the Chancellor’s Office, and the Board of Trustees, and provides strategic executive level legal counsel and support to the Chancellor, the Trustees, Presidents, Vice Chancellors, and their teams. She supervises a talented and dedicated team of attorneys, paralegals, and professional staff across six core legal practice teams. The OGC provides legal guidance and support in a wide array of areas, including
academic and student affairs (e.g., immigration and residency, student affairs, student success, financial aid, international programs, research and grants, sponsored programs, student government, academic senate, athletics, and athletics compliance),
human resources and labor relations (e.g. labor & employment, collective bargaining, benefits, and leaves),
civil rights (e.g., protected status discrimination, harassment & retaliation, privacy, and whistleblower rights),
business and finance (e.g., capital planning & facilities management, real estate & land use, CEQA, contracts & procurement, budget, financial services, tuition & fees, environmental health & safety, public safety, information technology, policy & compliance), external relations and communications (state & federal legislation and advocacy, strategic communications, tax, donations, gifts, and fundraising), and
litigation. The OGC handles and supervises the system’s litigation in-house including complex civil litigation in state and federal courts, arbitrations, administrative hearings, and class actions.
Ms. Theodora brings decades of legal experience and nearly 25 years with the OGC, having served on four of OGC’s six practice teams. She has held numerous leadership roles, including Associate Vice Chancellor and Deputy General Counsel, Assistant Vice Chancellor & Chief Counsel for Business & Finance, and University Counsel to multiple CSU campuses, including three-years in residence at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where she was a member of the president’s executive cabinet. Her legal expertise spans a range of practice areas, from litigation and trial work to systemwide specialties focused on Title IX, athletics gender equity, civil rights, First Amendment, Proposition 209, real estate, land use, CEQA, public-private partnerships, records access, investigations, and CSU governance and open meetings.
A proud first-generation college graduate, Ms. Theodora earned a B.A. in History from the University of California, Irvine, and a J.D. from the University of San Diego, all while working full time. She joined the CSU in 2001 after beginning her legal career as a litigation associate with Keesal, Young & Logan. She is a longtime member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys and a frequent speaker on legal and higher education topics, both within the CSU and nationally.
Ms. Theodora’s leadership is defined by integrity, transparency, collaboration, service, and an unwavering commitment to the CSU’s mission of access, equity, opportunity, and excellence in public higher education. She believes legal counsel should not only be sound, but should reflect the core values of inclusion, academic freedom, and student success. A single mother of three daughters—each now a college graduate and one with a juris doctorate—Ms. Theodora has lived the transformational power of public education and brings that lived experience to her work each day. She is honored to lead the OGC as it continues to be a steady, trusted, strategic, flexible, responsive, and forward-looking partner in protecting and advancing the CSU’s mission.
Support Staff:
Assistant Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff, December Bolden, Ed.D.