Mission Statement

The Office of the General Counsel is responsible for the legal affairs of the institution including the Auburn Campus, Auburn University Montgomery, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station. The office provides legal advice and related services to the Board of Trustees, the President, the Provost, Vice Presidents and other designated administrative officers.

Statement of Role

The Board, the President, and other designated officials may request legal assistance for institutional issues directly from our office. Other employees, offices, departments, and University entities are asked to route their requests through the appropriate administrative reporting line and to the appropriate Vice President or Provost. The office does not ordinarily provide legal assistance to students. Legal resources and frequently asked questions (FAQs) are linked on our website to provide useful information and direction to accommodate those engaged in official University matters.

The Office of the General Counsel maintains a searchable Policy Database. The Policy on Policies link provides specific guidelines for drafting, revising, and publishing University and departmental policies and procedures. Federal, state and city regulations or laws with which Auburn University must comply are not listed on this website, but it may contain internal campus policies which implements such laws.

Our office strives to yield timely and responsible legal expertise for an increasingly complex, comprehensive land, space, and sea-grant research institution. We address existing and potential legal matters in order to help the University achieve its mission of providing quality instruction, meaningful research, and public outreach to the citizens of Alabama.