New General Counsel

To: The Caltech Community
From: Thomas F. Rosenbaum, Sonja and William Davidow Presidential Chair and Professor of Physics
Date: July 29, 2019
Re: New General Counsel

I am delighted to announce that Jennifer Lum, currently Caltech's deputy general counsel, has been appointed Caltech's general counsel, effective September 1, 2019. In her new role, Jennifer will provide advice and legal counsel to the senior leadership of campus and JPL, as well as the Board of Trustees, on a broad spectrum of issues pertaining to the management and governance of the Institute.

Jennifer joined Caltech in 2010 as deputy general counsel. Her responsibilities include helping manage litigation; supervising the Office's practice groups, both on campus and at JPL; guiding audit, compliance, and conflict of interest issues; interfacing with law enforcement agencies; and acting for the general counsel in her absence.

We are grateful to the joint trustee, faculty, and staff committee chaired by Jean Ensminger (HSS), and including trustees Maria Hummer-Tuttle and Ronald Olson, Steve Mayo (BBE division chair), Joe Shepherd (EAS, vice president for student affairs), René Fradet (JPL chief financial officer), and Mary Webster (secretary to the board of trustees), for conducting a wide-ranging and thorough national search.

Prior to joining Caltech's Office of the General Counsel, Jennifer served as a United States Magistrate Judge in the Central District of California, handling both civil and criminal matters. She was previously an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles, where she served as Chief of the Major Frauds Section and supervised the investigation and prosecution of cases involving financial institutional fraud, securities fraud, computer crimes and internet fraud, intellectual property crimes, bankruptcy fraud, telemarketing fraud, and insurance fraud. While she was at the U.S. Attorney's Office, Jennifer received both the U.S. Department of Justice Director's Award and the U.S. Attorney's Office Award for Superior Performance. Earlier in her career, Jennifer served as a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Dickran Tevrizian and was in private practice in Los Angeles, where she focused on general business litigation.

Jennifer holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science and French from the University of Southern California and a juris doctorate from Cornell University. She is a member of the California Bar and admitted to practice in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. She is also a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys and the American Association of Corporate Counsel.

At this time, I should like to express my heartfelt appreciation to Victoria Stratman, who has served the Institute with distinction, dedication, intelligence, and wit as Caltech's general counsel since 2009. Vicci's complete commitment to discerning honorable, effective, and compassionate solutions to complex issues facing the Institute has marked her 24 years of service at Caltech. Notable among Vicci's accomplishments are her exceptional work to negotiate the recent renewal of Caltech's prime contract with NASA for the management of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Please join me in congratulating Vicci on her remarkable career at Caltech and in welcoming Jennifer to her new position.