Frequently Asked Questions

Do not sign for the acceptance of these documents. Instead, direct the individual to the Office of General Counsel at 360 Allen Center. Immediately notify the Office of General Counsel at ext. 5237 that you have directed a person who will be serving Rice with legal documents.

You may sometimes receive a summons or subpoena by mail or fax, or you may mistakenly accept one from a process server. If so, please contact the Office of General Counsel immediately. Please be aware that these documents are time sensitive, and to postpone or delay responding to these documents could seriously impact Rice University with legal consequences. Also, the content of these documents are not to be discussed, except with your immediate supervisor, especially if they are grand jury subpoenas or subpoenas issued in a criminal matter.

If the service is upon Rice University, service of process may be accepted by an attorney in the Office of General Counsel, provided the service is properly made. However, if the service is for a Rice employee or student on a personal matter (e.g., divorce, car accident lawsuit, etc.), the employee or student must be served personally. When someone is seeking to serve an employee or student on campus on a personal matter, the process server should be referred to RUPD.

You should contact the Office of General Counsel immediately and prior to responding. Our office will work with you to provide an appropriate response to any such query, including verifying the investigator’s credentials and reviewing the request for information. For some offices that have frequent contact with government investigators (such as the Office of International Students and Scholars), we have worked with that office on proper protocols on responding to governmental queries.

Please note that under FERPA, educational record information about students generally may not be given out without the student’s consent. Do not respond to any request for student records without speaking to the Office of General Counsel.

You should immediately deliver or fax all legal correspondence to the Office of General Counsel at 360 Allen Center, Fax: 713-348-5465. If sending via fax, the original document is to be delivered to the Office of General Counsel at the first opportunity.

Please refer to the Risk Management link at http://riskmanagement.rice.edu.

Only the Vice President and General Counsel may retain outside counsel for legal services pertaining to Rice University. The Vice President and General Counsel may engage outside counsel in situations where expertise on a particular matter is needed or in complex litigation matters. Outside counsel may also be retained when representation by the Office of General Counsel presents a conflict and other circumstances make the retention appropriate.

Rice will pay the reasonable legal bills and expenses of outside counsel to represent faculty or staff regarding a Rice matter, if the Vice President and General Counsel determines that such representation is appropriate.

By law, student records are private. The confidentiality of student records is governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Rice policy. You may not respond to any request for student records without first speaking to the Registrar's Office or the Office of General Counsel. For basic information about FERPA, see https://registrar.rice.edu/students/ferpa.

See the Forms link on this website.

The hours of operation for the Office of General Counsel are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, on days the University is open.

The Attorney/Client Privilege is a legal doctrine that protects confidential communications between the attorney and the client (Rice) that are for the purpose of obtaining legal advice. All such communications between the attorney and the client must be kept confidential. This privilege facilitates candid communication between the attorney and the client in order to facilitate legal advice and representation. Since the University is the client, the privilege applies only to communications between attorneys for Rice and individuals on Rice-related matters, not personal matters. If you have a question about whether the privilege may apply in a given situation, please contact one of the attorneys.

For assistance with contracts, you may contact Veta Byrd-Perez or James Cox in the Office of General Counsel.

See University Policy No. 810. As a matter of course, all contracts should be reviewed by the Office of General Counsel. Certain contracts must be reviewed by the Office of General Counsel. Before forwarding the contract to the Office of General Counsel for review, you should first read the contract and note any terms or conditions with which you take issue or have a concern. Rice can then seek to modify the terms of the contract before it is signed. Watch out for clauses in which Rice is asked to indemnify the other party, or that contain liability limitations, or have restrictions that may be unfavorable to Rice. If you have specific questions about certain terms or clauses or for more information, please contact the Office of General Counsel at 713- 348-5237.

Anyone who signs a contract on behalf of Rice must have written Signature Authority under University Policy 810. Prudence dictates that the signature authority be exercised only after the contract has been reviewed by the Office of General Counsel and the appropriate officers, faculty, staff or other persons with a role in the matter have been consulted. Please refer to University Policy 810 for guidance.

If you are importing into the United States, you may contact the Office of Purchasing or the Office of General Counsel for assistance with powers of attorney. For exports, please refer to the Office of Sponsored Projects and Research Compliance (SPARC).

Under Rice’s Standards of Ethical Conduct, there are multiple avenues for individuals to come forward with concerns about possible wrongdoing or unethical conduct. If feasible, an employee should speak with his or her immediate supervisor, but if the employee is uncomfortable speaking with the supervisor, please see the link above, which lists other avenues through which an individual may raise concerns.

Yes. We notarize documents related to Rice business for Rice students, faculty and staff. To schedule an appointment, please call us at 713-348-5237 or email legal@rice.edu with a brief description of the item you’d like notarized.

Before you arrive, we’ll need to see the document to ensure that all pages were filled out completely. Please bring with you a valid government issued photo identification card (like a driver’s license or passport) and your Rice identification card. We can generally schedule your appointment within 1 business day.

If Rice receives a Notice of Garnishment from a Texas court, Rice is ordered to withhold a certain amount of an employee’s wages to be paid toward a debt owed by the employee. Typically, a Notice of Garnishment may be issued in connection with child support payments, or IRS tax levies. Fax the Notice to the Office of General Counsel. The Office of General Counsel will work with the Payroll Department to comply with the order and to make sure the employee is notified.

The Office of General Counsel does not obtain personal attorneys for faculty, staff or student.

For personal legal representation and services consult with your personal attorney. The Office of General Counsel at Rice University represents and renders legal services solely to Rice University.

You should contact the Director of University Relations in Public Affairs at 713-348-6782 to request permission to film or photograph events at certain areas of Rice University.

You should contact the Office of Public Affairs, which is charged with the responsibility for protecting the university’s name, identity assets and reputation, at 713-348-6280 or pubaffrs@rice.edu.

You should contact the Office of Public Affairs at 713-348-6280 or pubaffrs@rice.edu.

You should contact the Rice Athletics Sales & Marketing Office at 713-348-2328.

As required by federal law, Rice notifies students or others using Rice’s computer system that copyright infringement or unauthorized distribution of copyright material – including copying or downloading materials without authorization of copyright owners and unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing – may violate civil and criminal laws, subjecting violators to civil and criminal penalties. If you receive a DMCA notice, follow the instructions in the notice. You may contact the Office of General Counsel at 713-348-5237 for more information. Please also refer to Policy 832 and VPIT: Digital Copyright Compliance.

If you have been asked to sign a nondisclosure or confidentiality agreement, you should contact the Office of General Counsel. However, you should contact the Office of Sponsored Projects and Research Compliance if the nondisclosure agreement is in connection with Rice research. For nondisclosure agreements relating to a Rice invention, you should contact the Office of Technology Transfer. For nondisclosure agreements for personal matters unrelated to your University work, you should contact your personal attorney. One should be sure, however, that any such confidentiality agreements do not conflict with one’s University’s responsibilities.

Contact Rice’s Director of Risk Management, Eno Oregbesan, at 713-348-4751 for insurance issues. Contact the Office of General Counsel for travel release forms for students and faculty.