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Updated: USDA attorney Romero named Princeton's new general counsel

Romero image
Romero image

Ramona Romero is the University’s new appointed general counsel, University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83 announced onWednesday morning. Romero has served as the general counsel for the U.S. Department of Agriculture since 2011.

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The general counsel is the University's top in-house lawyer and represents it in cases involving matters such as affirmative action, faculty and student affairs, and academic and research misconduct. He or she also heads the Office of the General Counsel, the body representing the University’s activities.

Eisgruber explained that the national search for and selection of a new general counsel was extremely competitive and attracted some outstanding candidates. He explained that the University worked with legal recruiting agency Major, Lindsey & Africa in order to more efficiently organize logistics of the search and recruit candidates. He noted that the position requires not only an outstanding lawyer, but also one with real leadership skills, outstanding managerial ability and true dedication to the values of education at a great university.

Eisgruber expressed confidence in Romero’s ability to undertake position of general counsel at Princeton University.

“General counsel comes to work each day not knowing what new matters will pop up each day, but Romero has already dealt with an extraordinarily wide range of issues,” he said. “She’s going to learn new things, but I think for extraordinarily talented people like Ms. Romero, it’s what makes jobs interesting.”

Romero was unavailable for comment for this article.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals filed a complaint with the USDA this summeralleging that University researchershad abused a marmoset monkey. The USDA has not publicly stated whether the claim is resolved or whether an investigation has launched.

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PETA laboratory oversight specialist Dr. Alka Chandna said Romero should not have a conflict of interest undertaking her appointment as general counsel at the University unless a lawsuit arises. Chandna explained that the complaint filed with the USDA was under the jurisdiction of the Animal and Plant House Inspection Service, not directly under the Office of the General Counsel.

Chandna added that she hopes Romero will put her experience at the USDA to good use at the University, specifically in supervising the animal experimentation community and following the guidelines of the animal welfare act.

Peter McDonough, the previous University general counsel,stepped downat the end of the 2013-14 academic year, after serving as general counsel since 2002 and assisting the University in legal matters since 1990. As general counsel he was involved in lawsuits over the new Arts and Transit neighborhood as well as theRobertson Foundation lawsuit.

McDonough did not respond to a request for comment.

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Romero graduated from Barnard College with a degree in political science in 1985. She went on to pursue a law degree at Harvard University while serving as student attorney for the Jamaica Plains Legal Services and director and attorney for the Prison Legal Assistance Project, among other activities. She worked as associate of counsel at Crowell & Moring LLP from 1988 until the late 1990s, before moving on to work at E.I. DuPont de Nemours until 2011, when she was appointed by President Barack Obama to join the USDA. As general counsel for the USDA, Romero oversees a team of 300 lawyers in order to advise the Secretary of Agriculture and other government officials involved in USDA programs.