Stella Ngai

Principal Counsel

Experience

Ms. Ngai was appointed Chief Campus Counsel of UC Merced in 2021.

She provides advice to the University on a broad range of legal issues affecting faculty, students, and staff, including employment, business transactions, academic affairs, research, and student affairs.

Prior to her UC Merced appointment, she was with UC Legal - Office of General Counsel for 11 years. As Senior Counsel for OGC, Ms. Ngai served as the systemwide resource on public disclosure, privacy, ethics, and student-related areas.

Before joining the University, Ms. Ngai was an Assistant District Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco and a litigator with the law firm of Minami Tamaki.

Ms. Ngai’s civic work includes her service on California’s Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation (JNE). She was the 2021 JNE chair.

Education

Ms. Ngai is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley (B.A.) and Santa Clara University (J.D.).​

Bar Admissions

California