Later, a university spokesperson sent Spotlight PA a link to the policy governing the Office of General Counsel, which states: “The General Counsel is responsible for determining when certain matters require the retention of outside counsel. “The Vice President and General Counsel makes these decisions based on his professional judgment after assessment of relevant facts and circumstances,” a university spokesperson wrote in an email. What criteria does the Vice President and General Counsel use to determine when outside legal counsel is “necessary or appropriate”? Seeking clarity, Spotlight PA followed up with this question: Like most other universities across the nation, as an example, Penn State’s Office of General Counsel deals with a wide range of legal matters, including licensing, affiliation agreements, insurance, real estate, zoning and land use, intellectual property rights, affirmative action, employment, safety, research, hospital facilities and licensure, accreditation, federal contracts, ADA compliance, conflicts of interest, airport regulations and environmental concerns - to name just a few.” “With 24 campuses, 90,000 students, and nearly 35,000 employees, the services provided by the Office of General Counsel are critical to operations. ![]() The internal legal unit is operating in fiscal year 2023 with a budget of $11.4 million, according to information filed with the state. The university retains private lawyers in addition to having its own 26-member Office of General Counsel tasked with providing “legal advice and representation to the Board of Trustees, the President and other administrators in their capacity as agents conducting University business,” according to the office’s website. STATE COLLEGE - During fiscal year 2022, Penn State paid more than $4.3 million to five private law firms - Ballard Spahr, Duane Morris, McGuireWoods, McQuaide Blasko, and Saul Ewing - according to information filed with the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The goal of the Transparency Tracker is to provide insight not only into Spotlight PA’s reporting process but also how Penn State responds to routine media inquiries. ![]() Due to its special “state-related” designation, Penn State is not subject to open records laws beyond the public disclosure of basic financial information. The Penn State Transparency Tracker is an ongoing effort by Spotlight PA to document and share the ways in which the university is, and is not, being transparent with the community.
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