Ian Oakley joined Lehigh University as Assistant General Counsel in 2023. Mr. Oakley's practice areas focus on Student and Staff Success, advising various campus partners and offices including Human Resources, Athletics, Dean of Students, Campus Police, Residence Life, Disability Support Services, Equal Opportunity and Title IX Coordinator, International Affairs, Career Services, Risk Management, and others. His practice includes internal investigations, litigation, employment matters, Clery Act, Title IX, NIL, coaching contracts, financial aid/scholarships, accommodations, university governance, dispute resolution, compliance, student conduct, and risk management. Mr. Oakley is a member of several University committees, such as the IRB, IACUC, ITAC, Disability Advisory Committee, Plan Administration Committee, and the New Administration Working Group. Additionally, Mr. Oakley conducts training sessions for students, faculty and staff on topics such as the use of AI on campus, the role of general counsel, political activity on campus, new manager orientation, and NIL. Mr. Oakley also represents Lehigh as the University representative to the Patriot League Policy Committee.
Prior to joining Lehigh, Mr. Oakley served as General Counsel for the Pennsylvania SPCA, where he worked closely with leadership to advance the organization’s mission to end animal cruelty. In that capacity, he was deputized as a special prosecutor in multiple counties across Pennsylvania to pursue cases of animal abuse. Earlier in his career, he was a commercial litigator with a regional law firm in Princeton, New Jersey. Mr. Oakley began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in Philadelphia, where he served in the Family Violence and Sexual Assault Unit, prosecuting some of the city’s most serious sexual abuse and assault cases.
A native of Easton, Pennsylvania, Mr. Oakley currently resides in Philadelphia. He earned his Juris Doctor from Drexel University in 2016 and his Bachelor of Arts from King’s College in 2013. He is a member of the Philadelphia Bar Association, the National Association of College and University Attorneys, and the Association of Corporate Counsel. He is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania and New Jersey