Blake Christensen

About Blake Christensen

With nearly a decade of leadership in legal strategy, compliance, and risk management, I…

Experience

1. General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer

   Idaho State University

   Jul 2020 — Present · Pocatello, ID, US

   Idaho State University is a high research activity (R2) university with 1800+ employees serving approx students on three primary campuses. ISU is one of six universities in the US offering programs from technical certificates through graduate and professional degrees and is Idaho\'s designated lead institution in health professions, medical education, and biomedical research. The university has over 200 research labs, 22 health clinics, a statewide pharmacy, a nuclear reactor, and a Division I athletics program. Executive Leadership: Serve on the university\'s Administrative Council, contributing to strategic institutional planning, administrative oversight, and issue management.Senior Management: Direct and oversee the Office of the General Counsel and the university compliance, HIPAA compliance, athletics compliance, and workers\' compensation programs.In-House Legal Practice: Actively provide comprehensive legal counsel across a diverse array of issues pertinent to a highly-regulated academic institution, including employment law, contracts, healthcare regulations, internal investigations, procurement, licensing, real estate, student conduct, academic matters, athletics, institutional governance, constitutional law, privacy, dispute resolution, and intellectual property.Policy and Risk Management: Participate in the development and implementation of university policies, procedures, and programs to effectively manage institutional activities and mitigate risks. Supervised the university\'s risk management program from 2020 to 2023 and continue to serve as the primary risk management liaison to Idaho\'s newly established university system-wide risk office.Academic Contributions: Teach \"Law in Higher Education,\" a graduate-level course designed to provide future educators and administrators with critical legal insights.Oversee External Counsel: Identify, retain, and collaborate with outside counsel to address specialized legal matters.

Education

• Yale School of Management

  Master of Business Administration - MBA

  2024 — 2026

• Brigham Young University

  Bachelor of Arts - BA

  2003 — 2009

• The College of William and Mary - Marshall Wythe Law School

  Juris Doctor (J.D.)

  2009 — 2012

Skills

• Local Government
• Strategic Planning
• Community Outreach
• Management
• Public Speaking
• Workshop Facilitation
• Higher Education
• Consulting
• Legal Writing
• Event Planning
• Legal Research
• Leadership Development
• Nonprofits