Elizabeth Bullock Introduced as DU's Senior Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs and General Counsel

Dear DU community members,

I am very pleased to introduce Elizabeth Bullock, who will join the University of Denver as our senior vice chancellor for legal affairs and general counsel (SVCGC) effective March 7, 2022.

Elizabeth brings to our community extensive legal experience with a track record of success serving as legal counsel in higher education. For the past three years, Elizabeth has served as general counsel at the University of Tulsa and previously served as associate attorney at Harvard University. She has also served as associate attorney at the Washington DC legal firm, Jenner & Block LLP, as well as law clerk for the Honorable Stephanie K. Seymour of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Elizabeth received her Juris Doctor (JD) from Yale Law School and a Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude in sociology from the University of Notre Dame.

In the SVCGC role, Elizabeth will serve as the University’s chief legal officer and lead the Office of General Counsel and its team. She will provide strategic legal guidance, consultation and support to the chancellor, trustees, and senior administrators, on relevant topics such as personnel law, statutes, policies and regulations, real estate transactions, tax matters, liability and insurance maters, and other laws and regulations. She will review and interpret a wide range of legal issues, draft legal documents and review contracts among other duties and responsibilities. Elizabeth will also serve as an ambassador of the University, demonstrating a commitment to its academic mission and values.

"I am honored to join the University of Denver as senior vice chancellor for legal affairs and general counsel,” says Elizabeth. “DU is an excellent university, and its strategic direction promises an even stronger future. I look forward to supporting the Chancellor, the Board of Trustees and other senior leaders in achieving their goals. I’m also excited to meet the faculty, staff and students that form the heart and soul of the university." 

In her most recent role at the University of Tulsa, Elizabeth established the office of general counsel. There, she advised the institution and its leaders on legal and compliance issues in higher education, including Title IX, FERPA, accessibility, faculty affairs, academic freedom, shared governance, employment laws, data security and privacy, NCAA rules and more. As well, she provided legal support for the university’s working and learning plans during the COVID-19 pandemic. At Harvard, where she served as an associate attorney, Elizabeth gained experience drafting, revising and advising policies and procedures affecting higher education, as well as advising on complex and sensitive legal matters.

We are thrilled to welcome Elizabeth to the University of Denver. We are confident she has the depth of experience and expertise to succeed in this vital role. Moreover, she possesses a leadership style defined by integrity and critical thinking, the ability to think strategically, a collaborative mindset, capacity for discretion and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. In short, she is the exact leader the University of Denver needs in our Office of General Counsel.

Elizabeth is an avid college sports fan who looks forward to cheering on DU’s student-athletes. She will be joined in Denver by husband Mike Borgia and their two-year-old daughter, Eleanor. Please join me in welcoming Elizabeth and her family to Colorado and the University of Denver. Elizabeth will be joining us virtually for her first few months and will fully relocate by summer.

I want to thank Dan Wilkerson who has served as interim vice chancellor for legal affairs and general counsel since December 2021, and will stay with us through Elizabeth’s orientation period this spring. We are grateful to have had such a capable legal mind at the helm as we searched for our permanent SVCGC.

Finally, my sincere thanks go to Trustee and Chair Emeritus Doug Scrivner, who so ably chaired the search, and to the entire search committee (listed below) for its very thoughtful work in conducting a successful national search using best practices and an approach defined by transparency, diversity and fairness.

The other members of the committee are:

• Apryl Alexander, associate professor, Graduate School of Professional Psychology
• Cassie Boggs (BA ’76; JD ‘81), retired general counsel
• Mary Clark, provost & executive vice chancellor
• Mary Sue Coleman, trustee
• Peter Gilbertson (BA ‘75), trustee
• Eric Hartman, executive director, Enterprise Risk Management
• Niki Latino (PhD ‘10), associate vice chancellor for student affairs, Division of Student Affairs & Inclusive Community
• Jerron Lowe (JD ‘05), interim vice chancellor of human resources, Office of Human Resources & Inclusive Community
• Viva Moffat, professor, Sturm College of Law
• Stacy Pinto, clinical assistant professor, Morgridge College of Education
• Mary Rhinehart (MBA, ‘98), trustee
• Beth Robischon, associate general counsel, Office of University Counsel
• With support from executive search firm Spencer Stuart
• And administrative support from Claire Brownell, director of university protocol and assistant secretary of the Board of Trustees, Office of the Chancellor

Sincerely,

Jeremy Haefner

Chancellor