James Mingle, University counsel and secretary of the Cornell Board of Trustees, will retire on June 30 after more than 20 years at Cornell, the University announced Wednesday. “It has been a privilege to be surrounded by a superb group of professionals [at Cornell] … who bring dedication and competence to everything they do,” Mingle said in a University release. While working as University counsel, Mingle was responsible for directing and coordinating the University’s legal affairs in all facets of its operation, ranging from its academic programs to its research and medical efforts. One of Mingle’s recent achievements, was establishing the legal means for Cornell to acquire its Cornell Tech campus in New York City, which the University won the bid for in December 2011, according to President Emeritus David J. Skorton. Skorton said, Mingle was a “consummate counsel and colleague” who had a hand in many of Cornell’s major advancements.