General Counsel

Mission Statement

The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) at the University of Tennessee is a full-service team of highly experienced and knowledgeable attorneys and legal professional staff. We consistently operate with integrity and a problem-solving mindset to provide collaborative, creative, and proactive legal services to the Board of Trustees, University administrators, and other partners and colleagues across the University’s statewide system of campuses and institutes. OGC serves as a strategic partner, trusted legal advisor, and zealous advocate to support and defend the advancement of the University’s mission of serving all Tennesseans and beyond through education, discovery, and outreach.

Role and Scope

The Office of the General Counsel provides legal advice and representation to the Board of Trustees and the University administration. The General Counsel’s main office is located on the campus of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Additional attorneys are located on the campus of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, the University of Tennessee at Martin, and in the Tennessee Tower building in Nashville.

Copyright Information

This site contains general information about copyright law to assist University of Tennessee faculty, staff and students in understanding this complex area of the law. It does NOT provide legal advice. Faculty and staff who have questions about copyright related to their university activities should contact Frank Lancaster (865 974-3245) at the Office of the General Counsel.

Employee Protections Against Liability

Statement on University Employee Protections Against Liability issued by the General Counsel

Interpretive Statement: Immunity and Defense for Employees Against Medical Negligence/Health Care Liability Claims issued by the General Counsel

UT System Policy Office

The Office of the General Counsel houses the UT System Policy Office.  The Policy Office serves as a single touchpoint for policy creation and tracking, adding transparency to the policy creation process and developing policies that are easy to comprehend and follow.  The policy website is available at the following link: https://policy.tennessee.edu/.  This website will continue to evolve as policies are revised and redrafted and is designed to be a “one-stop shop” for obtaining information on University-wide policies, as well as campus-specific procedures.

If you have questions, please contact the Policy Office at OGCPolicy@tennessee.edu.

Credentialing Letters

Requests for credentialing letters for current and former medical or dental residents as well as other current and former University of Tennessee faculty health care providers employed by the University of Tennessee at the following locations should be faxed to the Office of General Counsel using one of the fax numbers listed below:

The University of Tennessee in Knoxville and Chattanooga: (865) 974-0100.

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) at Memphis, Jackson, and Middle Tennessee: (901) 448-8031.