Operations of the Office of Legal Counsel
1.08
The Office of Legal Counsel has as its primary function the responsibility of providing professional advice and legal services to the Board. As lawyers for the Board, the attorneys serve as legal advisors to the organization acting through its duly authorized constituents, including the Board, its CEO and the Presidents and administrators of the five institutions in the OSU/A&M System. In the performance of these services, the lawyers in the Office of Legal Counsel should exercise independent professional judgment and render candid advice and, in doing so, may refer not only to the law, but to other considerations such as moral, economic, social, and political factors that may be relevant.
There shall be a General Counsel who is the chief legal officer for the Board, the institutions governed by the Board and their constituent agencies. The General Counsel shall report to the CEO and be responsible to the CEO and the Board for the satisfactory performance of the Office of Legal Counsel and its employees. This responsibility includes the management of the Office of Legal Counsel, supervision of its legal and support staff and the selection, coordination and supervision of all outside legal counsel in delivering the services required.
The Office of Legal Counsel shall investigate complaints and any other matters that are brought to its attention and/or as are deemed appropriate on its own initiative and the Office of Legal Counsel shall keep the Board and CEO informed of matters which may pose significant risk to the Board or its institutions.
Counsel shall be free at any time to consult directly with the Chair of the Board, the chair of any Board committee, the CEO of the Board, and the Presidents and administrators of the institutions, and to request from any office or officer of the institutions such information and records as shall be necessary for the performance of his/her duties. All institutional administrators shall fully cooperate with the CEO and the Office of Legal Counsel, and all records, documents and other information relevant to the management of all institutions and other entities under the jurisdiction of the Board shall be made available to the Office of Legal Counsel.
The CEO, in consultation with all institutional Presidents, shall conduct an annual performance review of the General Counsel, which shall be shared with all members of the Board. As part of this review, the CEO shall conduct a survey of clients regarding the performance of the General Counsel and the Office of Legal Counsel.
The annual budget for the Office of Legal Counsel shall be administered by the CEO
as is the current practice for other budgetary operations of the Board.
Approved Date:
June 20, 1997
Revised Date:
January 20, 2012
Amended Date:
April 22, 2011
January 20, 2012
June 22, 2018