California State University Chancellor Timothy P. White announced today the appointment of Framroze Virjee as Executive Vice Chancellor and General Counsel to the California State University Board of Trustees. He will serve as a direct report to Chancellor White, and oversee the Office of General Counsel, which includes more than 35 attorneys and paralegals organized into three practice units – Academic Affairs and Student Services; Business & Finance; and Human Resources. Selected through a national search, Virjee has served as a long-standing partner in the Labor and Employment practice of O’Melveny & Meyers, the oldest law firm in Los Angeles and one of the largest law firms in the nation. Recognized as one of the nation’s top employment litigators, Virjee brings nearly 30 years of experience in public education, collective bargaining, Education Code compliance, discrimination and labor litigation to his new role at the Chancellor’s Office.

“When hiring at this level and given that the CSU is the largest publicly funded higher education system in the country, we would expect the pool of candidates to include some of the most talented professionals in the legal profession. With Fram, we hit a ‘home run.’ Fram distinguished himself in the selection process through not only his extensive legal experience and first-hand knowledge of the state’s educational systems but also through his passion for the university’s mission. His professional leadership and service commitments illustrate the value he places on higher education,” said Chancellor White.

Members of the Board of Trustees and two campus presidents were among those tapped to participate in the selection process for the new Executive Vice Chancellor and General Counsel. “The Board is pleased to affirm the Selection Committee’s recommendation. Fram not only brings exceptional professional background but he also displays a keen understanding of the General Counsel’s role in ensuring that our campuses have excellent representation in the courts, as well as to state and federal agencies. As a leader in his field, adjunct law professor and proud graduate of our state’s publicly-funded educational systems, Fram is committed to using his legal expertise to represent and advance the interests of our 23 campuses, 437,000 students and 44,000 faculty and staff,” explained Board Chair Bob Linscheid.

Throughout his illustrious career, Virjee has earned numerous prestigious industry honors such as being cited for the past seven consecutive years as one of The Best Lawyers in America for his labor and employment work. For the past three years, the Daily Journal has named him as a Top Labor & Employment Lawyer and ChambersUSA ranked him as a Leading Lawyer.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a juris doctorate from the University of California Hastings College of Law.