General Counsel

The mission of the Office of General Counsel is to provide, manage, and coordinate legal services to pro-actively minimize the College's legal risks and liability. 

Services provided by the Office of General Counsel include:

• representing the College before a variety state and federal agencies including the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights, the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights, and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission;
• responding to subpoenas and public records requests;
• assistance with the development of College policy and procedures;
• providing legal advice to the Board of Trustees, the President and other administrators and employees;
• review of contracts and other documents for legal sufficiency; review of proposed legislation and regulations;
• coordination of services with the Office of the County Attorney for litigation; and
• coordination and managing outside legal counsel for matters requiring legal specialization. 

All requests for legal services on behalf of the College must be directed to the Office of the General Counsel, and outside counsel may not be hired to assist in legal matters unless such counsel are selected and retained by the Office of General Counsel. 

When to Consult the Office of the General Counsel

In general, the Office of the General Counsel should be consulted when the College receives subpoenas, requests pursuant to the Maryland Pubic Information Act, a summons or notice of the filing of a lawsuit, or notice of a governmental audit or investigation.

Understanding the Role of the General Counsel

It is imperative that the College community understand that the Office of the General Counsel represents Montgomery College, as a separate and independent legal entity, and does not and cannot represent the interests of any employees or students of the institution in their individual or personal capacity. If you have such questions, you should consult your personal counsel or contact the Montgomery County Bar Association.

Request Information Under the Public Information Act

Montgomery College is subject to the requirements of the Maryland Public Information Actnew window which requires government agencies to provide certain public records within specified time limits when requested. The College proactively discloses many documents that are publicly available on the College website at no cost and do not require a formal request. Readily available information includes the following:

• Active Contracts
• Annual Security Report (PDF, )
• Archived Board Meetings, Minutes, and Resolutionsnew window
• Bid Opportunities
• Capital Budgetnew window
• College Catalognew window
• College Policies and Proceduresnew window
• Employee Data Dashboard
• Employee Directory
• Financial Statementsnew window
• Operating Budgetnew window
• Student Consumer Informationnew window
• Student Enrollment Datanew window

If you are unable to locate what you are looking for on the College website or otherwise wish to file a public information request, please email your request to PublicInformationAct@montgomerycollege.edu. If sending by mail our address is:

Montgomery College
Office of the General Counsel
9221 Corporate Boulevard
Suite CT/C423
Rockville, MD 20850    

If you have any questions, please contact Violet Chowbay, Legal Assistant, by email or by phone at 240-567-5270.     

Who We Are 

 

The contents of this page are for informational purposes only, and nothing contained here may be construed as "legal advice" from the Office of General Counsel.