Cynthia Baldwin, a former justice on the state Supreme Court, has been tapped to serve as the first in-house, general counsel of Penn State University.

Ms. Baldwin, 64, will leave her current job as a partner in the Pittsburgh office of law firm Duane Morris and begin her new role at Penn State on Feb. 15.

She will be based at the main campus in University Park and will report to Graham Spanier, the school's president. In her new job, Ms. Baldwin said, she will launch the office and the university will eventually conduct a national search to fill the position permanently.

Prior to naming her to the post, the university used a State College law firm as its counsel, Ms. Baldwin said.

"It's a complex campus . . . I believe my background with Penn State and the law is most helpful."

Ms. Baldwin, a McKeesport native, earned bachelor's and master's degrees at Penn State and has served as a university trustee for 15 years, she said, including a stint as board chair from 2004 to 2007. She will resign from the board effective Friday.

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