The Office of General Counsel includes approximately 20 attorneys and seven staff who provide legal services to all Cornell campuses and units in the United States and abroad. The office operates from two locations: the main Cornell campus in Ithaca, New York and the Weill Cornell Medicine campus in New York City.
Attorneys in the Office of General Counsel collaborate with campus colleagues across a broad range of disciplines, providing advice and counsel on all legal matters affecting the University. The office’s practice areas include first amendment/speech issues, civil rights, disability law, policy development, corporate governance, drafting and negotiating contracts, business and financial transactions, governmental regulatory matters, development and endowment, labor and employment, employee benefits, student affairs, privacy laws, investment, tax, antitrust, construction and facilities, bankruptcy, land use and real estate, international contracts and initiatives, information technology, environmental health and safety, intellectual property (including patent, copyright and trademark), technology transfer, sponsored research, research integrity, foreign influence and compliance. Attorneys also represent the University and its authorized agents in all litigation matters, administrative and agency investigations, and handle subpoenas and records responses.
The Office of General Counsel also provides university and departmental trainings and workshops on legal and regulatory matters, and attorneys write and speak regularly at state and national conferences on higher education law and related matters.
The Weill Cornell Medicine office in New York City is headed by a Deputy General Counsel. Attorneys in this section additionally provide advice and counsel on matters ranging from health law issues related to the medical college’s clinical practice, clinical trials and other research and technology issues, and student and accreditation issues for the medical college and graduate school of medical sciences.
The Secretary of the Corporation
The Secretary of the Corporation serves as Secretary of the Board of Trustees and provides comprehensive administrative support for the Board of Trustees. The Secretary of the Corporation operates administratively within the Office of General Counsel.