Harvard University has appointed former White House lawyer Jennifer O’Connor as its next general counsel, replacing Diane Lopez, who retired in February.

O’Connor joins from US defence giant Northrup Grumman, where most recently she was vice president for technology and information law and policy. At Harvard, she will serve as the university’s chief legal strategist and sit on its senior leadership team, overseeing a team of attorneys and legal professionals. She will take up her new role later this month.

Harvard University is the US’s oldest higher education institution and is part of the Ivy League of elite research universities in the country. It counts among its alumni, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and former US president Barack Obama.

In a memo, interim Harvard president Alan Garber said: “I look forward to working with [O’Connor] to advance the university’s interests at a time when higher education faces many legal, regulatory and political challenges. 

“Widely admired among her colleagues for her collaborative style, strategic insight and dedication to public service, she brings with her an abiding commitment to Harvard and its mission. Her unique combination of talent and experience will serve the university well at a pivotal moment for higher education.”

O’Connor arrives after more than seven years at Northrup Grumman across a number of roles that have included deputy GC and GC of its space systems and mission systems businesses. Prior to that she spent two years in the Pentagon, first joining as deputy GC before being promoted to GC a year later.

She also served as deputy White House counsel and deputy assistant to the president during the Obama administration. Before that, she worked in private practice at WilmerHale for 11 years, nine of them as a partner in its litigation and investigations team. She also had a four-year spell at legacy firm Miller Cassidy Larroca & Lewin, having started her legal career as a law clerk in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

Before doing her law doctorate at Georgetown University Law Center, O’Connor graduated from Harvard with a BA in American government and international affairs.

Speaking to the Harvard Gazette, O’Connor said: “I am thrilled to be returning to Harvard, a place that has had such a profound influence on my life since I arrived as an undergraduate. 

“I am grateful to [interim] president Garber for his confidence and to have this opportunity, along with the amazing team in the office of general counsel, to support and advance the vital mission of this university and the groundbreaking work being done by students, faculty and researchers across so many areas that will have a meaningful impact in our world today and long into the future.”

Lopez, meantime, stepped down at the end of February after roughly five years in the role following a 30-year career with Harvard. Since her departure, Eileen Finan has been standing in as interim GC while the university searched for Lopez’s replacement.

Garber added: “I am immensely grateful for Eileen’s wise counsel, dedication and generosity toward our entire community over these past months. We will continue to benefit from her service as she resumes her role as a university attorney.”