The Office of Legal Affairs performs a wide variety of legal services. We provide legal advice and counsel to Miami Dade College, including its various departments and the Board of Trustees, in areas such as contracts, employment, public records, open meetings, and the various issues pertaining to higher education at a public institution. These include:
- Advising College officials on regulatory compliance and other legal aspects;
- Researching and responding to legal questions posed by the College community regarding matters affecting the College;
- Representing the College and the Board of Trustees in all legal forums;
- Preparing, negotiating and reviewing contracts between the College and other entities, including affiliation agreements and Memoranda of Understanding;
- Representing the College in real estate and other commercial transactions;
- Providing legal counsel to the Division of Human Resources on all personnel matters;
- Providing legal counsel to the College administration regarding student matters;
- Coordinating responses to subpoenas/court orders and other requests;
- Coordinating responses and provide guidance in responding to public records requests;
- Working closely with departments with compliance functions such as Human Resources, Equal Opportunity Program Office and Risk Management;
- Leading the bi-annual review of all College policies; and
- Assisting departments in designing and implementing policies and procedures.
In addition to providing legal services, the Office of Legal Affairs offers training sessions and seminars on a broad spectrum of preventive law and other legal subjects. Examples of subjects covered in training sessions include student records, public records and subpoenas, conflict of interest, and updates on employment law.
The Office engages and supervises the activities of outside counsel who may be retained to assist with particular matters requiring specialized expertise when considerations such as cost and specialized subject matter make it appropriate to do so. College personnel should not contact outside counsel concerning College business without prior consultation with the Office of Legal Affairs. Similarly, all communications from outside attorneys should be referred to the Office of Legal Affairs.