Case Western Reserve University - Office of General Counsel

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What are office hours for the Office of General Counsel?
Is there a notary public available?
What are the alcohol permit procedures?
How does one obtain legal advice?
What do you do if an individual outside the University requests to conduct a background check of a current or former student?
What should I do if I receive a subpoena?
What should I do if I receive a court document?
I have a fully signed copy of a contract that was reviewed by the Office of General Counsel. Should I return that to your office?
I need a copy of the University’s Form 990. How do I get it?
What do I do if I receive a written or oral request for records or information from an attorney outside the University?

1. What are office hours for the Office of General Counsel?

Office hours are 8:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Monday - Friday. Attorneys are available on-call for emergencies, during after-hours and holidays by contacting the Office of Security at 368- 3333.

2. Is there a notary public available?

Yes, a notary public is available.

3. What are the alcohol permit procedures?

Please contact Dot Martin at 368-8785 for details on alcohol permit procedures. Information on temporary permits is available at http://www.liquorcontrol.ohio.gov/TemporaryPermits.pdf.

4. How does one obtain legal advice?

By contacting the office via e-mail, phone, or facsimile you will be routed to the appropriate attorney best suited to handle your request.

5. What do you do if an individual outside the University requests to conduct a background check of a current or former student?

Investigators conducting a background check should contact the appropriate office(s) related to their verification request.

6. What should I do if I receive a subpoena?

A subpoena is a legal document that requires the University by law to produce documents within a specified time related to a current lawsuit or other legal matter. Therefore, if you receive a subpoena related to the University or your office or work in any way, it is important that the Office of General Counsel receives the subpoena right away so we can respond appropriately and in a timely fashion. You can either hand-deliver the subpoena to our office in Adelbert Hall (Room 311) or fax the subpoena to our office (216-368-5481) and then hand-deliver the subpoena to our office as soon as possible. Please do not use campus mail. It is preferable that we receive the subpoena within a day of the date you receive it. Please deliver or fax the envelope as well as the documents. The Office of General Counsel will then review the subpoena and respond. The Office will follow up with you regarding any documents that may need to be produced. Please do not respond to a subpoena directly or speak to the attorneys or parties involved in the matter. You can refer any issue directly to our office.

7. What should I do if I receive a court document?

Please forward to the Office of General Counse as soon as possible, also immediately call to notify the University's attorneys. Timely action is necessary as there may be significant deadlines that begin to run as soon as you receive the court document.

8. I have a fully signed copy of a contract that was reviewed by the Office of General Counsel. Should I return that to your office?

It is the responsibility of the school or business unit to maintain the original, signed contract. Please send (via campus mail or pdf) a copy to the Office of General Counsel, to the attention of the attorney that reviewed it.

9. I need a copy of the University’s Form 990. How do I get it?

The IRS Form 990 is an annual return for organizations exempt from income tax. In compliance with IRS regulations the university will provide the Form 900 return upon your email request. If your office is submitting a grant application which requires the IRS Form 990, or you receive an inquiry from an outside agency requesting the University’s 990, please contact Dot Martin in the Office of General Counsel at dmm35@case.edu. Please indicate the intended purpose and identify the requesting organization. We can then send to you electronically the correct form for the relevant time period.

10. What do I do if I receive a written or oral request for records or information from an attorney outside the University?

You should refer to the Office of General Counsel (368-4286) all requests for records or information related to the University or your office or work that comes from any attorney outside the University. The Office will review the request, determine if the individual is authorized to obtain the documents or information, and respond appropriately. Please do not respond directly to a request from any attorney outside the University regarding any University-related matter.