The Office of the Vice President and General Counsel (OVPGC) serves as legal counsel for the University. We advise the Trustees and University Administration on all legal issues and serve as the point of contact on all legal matters involving the University. Our work includes negotiating and approving contracts and complex transactions where IU is a party; preventing and defending against lawsuits where IU is a party; and interpreting and advising on compliance obligations with federal, state and local laws and regulations, as well as industry standards and internal policies. When necessary, we engage outside legal counsel to assist in these matters.
5 Points to Remember
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Attorney-Client Privilege: Please do not send communications between you and attorneys in the OVPGC to third parties (such as those in contract negotiations with the University) without checking with us first, so we may protect attorney-client privileged and work product material.
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Who We Represent: The OVPGC represents the University, including University officials acting in their official capacities. The Office does not represent individual faculty, staff members or students in personal legal matters.
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Signature Authority: Only the Treasurer of IU, or persons authorized in writing by the Treasurer, may sign a contract or agreement committing University funds or resources.
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Hiring Outside Counsel: Only the OVPGC may hire outside attorneys to assist with University business.
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Requests for University Records: The OVPGC coordinates all responses to legal requests or demands for University records or information (subpoenas, warrants, requests under state and federal open records laws, etc.). Since these are often time-sensitive, please contact us immediately upon receipt of such requests.
Client Satisfaction
With the assistance of IU's Center for Survey Research, the OVPGC recently conducted its first client satisfaction survey. After distributing our web survey to more than 300 University administrators and faculty, we obtained a survey response rate of 66%. We are pleased to learn that overall client satisfaction with the OVPGC’s services is very high (the mean response to the “overall satisfaction” item was 4.8 on a 5 point scale where 5 indicates “very satisfied”). We also appreciated the thoughtful comments and helpful suggestions provided by many of those responding, and we endeavor to continue to make improvements in our delivery of legal services to the University community. In the future we will continue to assess and aim to improve the effectiveness of our legal services, with a goal toward 100% satisfaction.
