Paul Meggett – University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Paul Meggett arrived at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County at a moment when the institution was leaning decisively into its future. Founded in the early 1960s and opened to students in 1966, UMBC has always defined itself differently from its peers. Built during a period of social upheaval, the university forged an identity rooted in innovation, interdisciplinarity, and inclusion, pairing cutting-edge research with a relentless focus on undergraduate success. That DNA has positioned UMBC well as higher education confronts mounting pressures around enrollment, affordability, workforce relevance, technology, and public trust.

Paul Meggett | University of Maryland, Baltimore County | Vice President and General Counsel

Meggett joined UMBC in September 2024 as vice president and general counsel, bringing a quarter century of higher education experience and a reputation for building modern, high-performing legal teams. Prior to his arrival at UMBC, Meggett served for six years as general counsel at Appalachian State University. What drew him to UMBC was not stability, but possibility. The university had earned R1 research status, built a strong national reputation in STEM fields, and was simultaneously being asked to grow. With a newly deeded parcel of land that will ultimately double the campus’s size, UMBC stands alone within the University of Maryland system as the institution with both the mandate and the physical capacity to expand.

That combination of growth, ambition, and reinvention closely aligned with Meggett’s leadership instincts. He describes himself as a builder, someone drawn to opportunities where systems can be reimagined rather than inherited. At UMBC, he saw a university that had “arrived” in many respects yet still operated with the urgency and creativity of a startup, an environment where legal strategy could be a catalyst rather than a constraint.

Joining at a moment of transformation

The decision to leave Appalachian State was not an obvious one. Meggett was well established, supported by his board, and not actively looking to move. A pending leadership transition there, coupled with the uncertainty common during chancellor searches, made him more open to conversations. When UMBC reached out, the timing and alignment were right. After meeting with campus leaders and spending time understanding what the university was building, he realized the opportunity extended far beyond a single role.

“I got off the plane and told my wife that I think I’m ready to go,” he says.

UMBC’s leadership articulated a vision that went beyond incremental change. The university’s president has challenged the institution to reimagine every part of the campus, from academics and research to student life, infrastructure, and community engagement. Located in Baltimore and drawing students from more than 100 countries, UMBC sits at the intersection of urban opportunity and campus growth, with the potential to drive economic development, innovation, and workforce pipelines for the region and beyond.

For Meggett, the legal function would be central to that evolution. Campus expansion on this scale raises complex questions around land use, procurement, partnerships, compliance, labor, data governance, athletics, and research commercialization. Modern higher education also faces shifting federal and state policy landscapes, immigration reform, and financial pressures that require institutions to be both nimble and intentional.

“There’s a way universities tend to respond to challenges,” he says. “But we’re trying to lead with strategy, not reaction.”

Rebuilding a modern legal team

One of Meggett’s first priorities was rebuilding the Office of the General Counsel itself. Recruited in part because of his prior success creating a Division of Institutional Integrity and modernizing legal operations at Appalachian State, he arrived with a clear philosophy: legal excellence and personal well-being are not competing goals.

“I wasn’t looking for just the best legal tacticians,” he says. “I was looking for people with vision, curiosity, and a growth mindset.”

Rather than starting with attorneys, Meggett’s first hire was a director of legal operations. That decision signaled a fundamental shift in how the office would function. Legal operations would drive workflows, technology adoption and a true digital strategy, data analysis, and standards from the outset, allowing attorneys to focus on higher-value advisory work. Within months, the team expanded to include new attorneys specializing in compliance, labor and employment, and general practice, as well as a paralegal. The office also moved into a larger, modern space in the research park adjacent to the university, designed to support collaboration and growth.

This rebuild was not about replicating traditional law office structures. Meggett has been explicit about avoiding outdated practices that equate long hours with effectiveness. Instead, he has incorporated mental health, sustainability, and work-life harmony into the office’s performance metrics, a stance he also advocates for nationally through speaking engagements and professional forums.

“The legal profession knows it has a problem,” he says. “We have to change how we practice if we want people to thrive.”

Technology, data & enterprise thinking

Technology plays a central role in UMBC’s legal transformation. Meggett and his team are working closely with campus IT, faculty, and even students to develop AI-enhanced tools tailored to the university’s specific risk profile and strategic priorities. One initiative focuses on contract review, combining automated analysis with human judgment to assess risk tolerance, align agreements with institutional goals, and generate data-driven insights about where resources are being deployed.

Another project reimagines the student residency appeal process. Historically handled by the Office of the General Counsel, the process was time-consuming despite being governed largely by clear state rules. Working with enrollment management and IT, Meggett’s team is partnering to develop a tool that allows the registrar’s office to manage appeals efficiently, reducing cost and turnaround time while maintaining accuracy and increasing the end-user student’s experience. Over time, the tool, once implemented, could even be scaled across the University of Maryland system and potentially licensed externally, turning operational efficiency into a revenue opportunity.

“That’s the kind of lawyering we’re trying to do,” he says.

Beyond legal operations, Meggett has helped advance a comprehensive Enterprise Compliance Program and a robust Enterprise Risk Management framework. By taking an enterprise-wide view, the university is identifying inefficiencies, improving coordination across departments, and proactively addressing risks rather than reacting defensively. This partnership-based approach reflects a broader shift in how UMBC is positioning itself to navigate the complexities of modern higher education.

Building the university of the future

UMBC’s physical expansion may be the most visible symbol of its ambitions. The newly acquired land presents an opportunity to rethink what a university campus can be in the 21st century. Rather than simply adding dorms and classrooms, there is the potential for hybrid spaces that blend academic, research, residential, and commercial uses, creating a college town environment integrated with the surrounding city. The campus strategic planning process, which is currently underway, is one of the factors that will help guide the development of the property.

Meggett sees this as an opportunity to design systems, policies, and partnerships from the ground up. Issues such as shared workspaces, flexible learning environments, public-private collaborations, and research commercialization all require legal frameworks that are both innovative and durable. At the same time, the university remains attentive to demographic and policy shifts, including changes in international enrollment patterns and immigration rules. By analyzing data and adjusting recruitment strategies early, UMBC has mitigated risk rather than developing into a crisis.

“Higher education hasn’t always modernized as quickly as it should,” he says. “But that clock is speeding up.”

For Meggett, the work is demanding but energizing. Support from senior leadership, faculty, and staff has enabled rapid progress, and the shared sense of purpose across campus stands out. UMBC’s collaborative shared governance model, he notes, is among the healthiest he has experienced, creating a strong foundation for sustained growth.

In many ways, the university’s story mirrors his own approach to leadership: grounded in values, open to experimentation, and focused on building something that lasts. As UMBC expands its footprint and influence, the legal function is not simply keeping pace; it is helping chart the course.