“Legal Briefs” appears in e-Inside to keep faculty and staff informed of legal issues and their implications. An archive of past Legal Briefs is available online.

The mission of Kent State University’s Office of General Counsel is to advance the university’s strategic goals while preserving the legal, ethical and financial integrity of the institution. Accordingly, the Office of General Counsel serves as the legal representative of the university and is available to provide legal advice and guidance on university-related matters to employees and departments on all campuses.

Willis Walker, general counsel for Kent State, is responsible for managing the operations of the office and ensuring that the university remains in legal compliance with numerous state and federal laws and regulations. The attorneys and staff in the office provide many services, including, but not limited to, the following:

• Assist departments with the administration and negotiation of all third-party contracts, leases and other agreements;
• Coordinate all public records requests for all campuses;
• Assist in the development of university policy, as well as department-specific regulations;
• Provide legal guidance on intellectual property matters, including patent, copyright and trademark;
• Assist international employees with immigration processes;
• Provide training in regulatory compliance and guidance when new laws go into effect; and
• Provide notary services for university documents;
  

The Office of General Counsel has previously provided or sponsored training for faculty and staff on the following topics:

• Discrimination issues pertaining to employees or students;
• Public Records;
• Campus Safety and Security Training;
• FERPA;
• Ohio Ethics Laws and Compliance;
• Copyright Fair Use; and
  
• Immigration
  

If you are interested in scheduling training for your department in any of these areas or another area of interest, please contact the Office of General Counsel.

Each attorney at the Office of General Counsel has several primary areas of responsibility. If you are not sure who to contact, call the Office of General Counsel at 330-672-2982 or send your legal inquiries to legal@kent.edu.

You also can visit the Office of General Counsel’s website for a variety of resources, including a compliance database, the university records retention schedule and relevant information on immigration services.