Debra Zumwalt

Debra Zumwalt is a prominent legal professional and board member, currently serving as the Vice President and General Counsel at Stanford University since 2001. In addition to her role at Stanford, she has been a member of the Board of Directors at Huron Consulting Group since October 2014, where she also participates in various committees including Compensation, Nominating and Corporate Governance, and Technology and Information Security.15

Professional Background

• Stanford University: Zumwalt oversees legal services for the university and its affiliated hospitals, managing a team of 16 lawyers. Her responsibilities encompass a wide range of legal issues related to academic affairs, governance, and compliance.153
• Previous Experience: Before her tenure at Stanford, she was a partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP from 1993 to 2001, where she specialized in complex civil litigation and higher education law. She also served as Senior University Counsel at Stanford prior to becoming General Counsel.156

Education

• J.D. from Stanford Law School
• B.S. in Political Science from Arizona State University.45

Board Memberships

In addition to her position at Huron, Zumwalt serves on the boards of:

• Exponent, Inc.: A scientific consulting firm.
• American University of Afghanistan: Where she has played a significant role in governance since its inception.124

Recognition

Zumwalt has received various accolades for her contributions to law and education, including the Transformative Leadership Award from InsideCounsel in 2012, which established the Debra L. Zumwalt Pioneer Award in her honor.3

Her extensive experience in legal affairs within educational institutions positions her as a key figure in both the legal and academic communities.