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For legal counsel or review regarding a University matter, please click the button below to tell us more about the matter.
Note: the Office of Legal Affairs represents the University and does not provide personal legal advice to university faculty members, staff members, or students.
Office of Legal Affairs Staff
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César Alvarado joined UC Merced as Chief Campus Counsel in 2024, bringing extensive legal experience, a deep commitment to education and strong personal ties to the Central Valley. Appointed by Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz, Alvarado has long viewed higher education as transformative — particularly for students from lower-income and socially disadvantaged backgrounds like his own. He believes universities serve as vital gateways to opportunity and success. Alvarado emigrated from war-torn El Salvador as a teenager and grew up in Los Angeles. A product of the University of California system, he earned his undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley and his law degree from UCLA School of Law. He practiced corporate litigation law with private firms Morrison & Foerster and Archer Norris in the Bay Area before transitioning to public education leadership. Prior to joining UC Merced, Alvarado served as General Counsel for the Mount Diablo Unified School District, where he oversaw all legal services, compliance and risk management for 55 campuses. His career also included teaching U.S. jurisprudence and leading an internship program at UC Berkeley School of Law, reflecting his longstanding passion for mentoring and student development. Alvarado also serves as an Adjunct Professor of law at UC Merced. As Chief Campus Counsel for UC Merced, Alvarado serves in a dual-reporting role to the University of California’s systemwide General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Legal Affairs and as a member of UC Legal’s leadership team. Joining UC Merced represented both a professional milestone and a personal commitment. He and his wife, state Sen. Marie Alvarado, have built their blended family of six children in the Central Valley — a region he believes deserves expanded access to world-class higher education. A proud UC alumnus and parent of UC students, Alvarado remains dedicated to advancing UC Merced’s mission of expanding opportunity and educational excellence in the Valley. |
César Alvarado|
Angela Counts Email: acounts2@ucmerced.edu |
Eric Kalmin Email: ekalmin@ucmerced.edu |
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Mercedes Baeza Email: mercedesbaeza@ucmerced.edu |
Jordan Thaw Email: jthaw@ucmerced.edu |
