Cynthia Baldwin, 64, an English major in Penn State’s Class of 1966, is returning to her alma mater as University General Counsel and Vice President.

Baldwin, who also got her Masters in American Literature at Penn State, was appointed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2005 and was the second African-American woman to do so in the state’s history. Of her more notable cases, Baldwin wrote the majority opinion for a case involving eminent domain and separation of church and state. Her more than 30 years working in litigation gives her a very impressive background to become basically the head of all legal concerns within the university.

Her basic duties will include launching the university’s legal counsel’s office and preparing it for the next successor. She will also take over Penn State’s legal work, which includes oversight on its contracts and policies, and establishing procedures, all of which were previously delegated to a local State College legal firm.

She will begin her new job here starting February 15th, and her office will be on main campus at University Park. She will work under the university president, Graham Spanier.

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