Office of the General Counsel

Welcome! The Office of General Counsel (OGC) is committed to service, knowledge of the law, and facilitating the educational and bilingual mission of Gallaudet University. It is our function to provide, manage, and coordinate all legal services for the University and to minimize legal risks and costs efficiently, reliably, and professionally. The attorneys within OGC are licensed in the following states: District of Columbia and Maryland. OGC represents the University and may not represent individual students, faculty, or staff except when these individuals are named as defendants in litigation as a result of actions or omissions within the course and scope of their employment or institutional representation. For personal legal advice, employees and students should consult a private attorney.

We care about your goals. Both short and long term. And we want to help you get there.

In pursuit of excellent legal service for University clients and a desire to support Gallaudet’s growth, we provide creative and cost-effective solutions that are rooted in the Gallaudet Promise and our core values.

Our Pledge to You

We seek and retain lawyers and staff who have exhibited empathy, attention to detail, integrity and who inspire the confidence of you- our clients. We live and breathe the Gallaudet Promise and the following OGC’s core values:

Client Service: We are fully dedicated to helping you and your department or program achieve your goals.

Integrity: We rely on our strong moral principles and professional ethics in all of our interactions and the work we do.

Empathy: We care deeply about our community, so we take the time to listen and apply wisdom and sound judgement in everything we do.

Pursuit of Excellence: We embrace new ideas, methods and ways of doing things, bringing creative solutions and knowledge to you.

Belonging & Bilingualism: We provide mission driven, high quality legal services in American Sign Language and English that represents the diversity of our community.

Team Collaboration: We have a collegial, supportive environment where we work together to meet goals and provide support to you.

Diversity & Inclusion, Culture

We believe that our work with diverse clients and stakeholders should be mirrored by and represented through our team. We believe that having a team with varying ideas and experiences is crucial to our success and Gallaudet’s success. We actively seek out opportunities to create a culture rich in language vibrancy, diversity, and inclusive excellence.

The OGC puts a premium we put on work-life balance. We believe that while we are here, we should work hard and with heart. And when we are not here, we are focused on what is most important to us in our lives.