July 22, 2025 – Stanford, CA — Stanford Law School today announced the appointment of Lucy Ricca as executive director of the Sally B. and William H. Neukom Center for the Rule of Law, effective September 1, 2025.

Ricca has been with Stanford Law School’s Deborah L. Rhode Center on the Legal Profession for more than 12 years, most recently as the Rhode Center’s executive director. She is a national expert on efforts to reform the regulation of the legal profession in order to promote innovation, access to justice, and transparency.

In her new role, Ricca will work with Professor Diego Zambrano, the Neukom Center’s faculty director, to grow and shape the interdisciplinary center, which promotes research, teaching, and experiential learning to advance the rule of law in the United States and globally. The center focuses on core rule-of-law principles, including accessible and impartial justice, accountability of public and private actors, and fair and open governance. It was established in 2022 through a gift from William Neukom, LLB ’67, who, before his recent passing, had a long history of providing financial and leadership support to the law school and within the Stanford Law alumni community. 

“We’re thrilled to welcome Lucy to the Neukom Center for the Rule of Law,” Zambrano said. “She brings deep expertise, institutional knowledge, and a nuanced grasp of how legal institutions can promote or impede justice. During her time as executive director, the Rhode Center became one of the premier law school centers in the country—a testament to her leadership and vision. Her extensive work on legal regulatory innovation aligns with our mission to strengthen the rule of law around the world. With Lucy at the helm, the Neukom Center is poised to expand its impact.” 

Ricca said, “This is a wonderful opportunity to help shape a center whose mission resonates deeply with my work and interests. The Neukom Center sits at the intersection of law, policy, and foundational legal principles, and I’m honored to help it grow at such a pivotal moment.”

Ricca is a former Executive Director of the Utah Office of Legal Services Innovation, a regulator created by the Utah Supreme Court to encourage new models of legal services delivery. A graduate of Dartmouth College and the University of Virginia School of Law, she clerked for Judge James P. Jones of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia and practiced at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe before entering the public interest and academic arenas.

About Stanford Law School 

Stanford Law School is one of the nation’s leading institutions for legal scholarship and education. Its alumni are among the most influential decision makers in law, politics, business, and high technology. Faculty members argue before the Supreme Court, testify before Congress, produce outstanding legal scholarship and empirical analysis, and contribute regularly to the nation’s press as legal and policy experts. Stanford Law School has established a model for legal education that provides rigorous interdisciplinary training, hands-on experience, global perspective and a focus on public service.