Office of the General Counsel

Mission Statement

The Office of General Counsel (OGC) of American University is committed to service, knowledge of the law, and facilitating the educational mission of American University. It is our function to provide, manage, and coordinate all legal services for the university and to minimize legal risks and costs efficiently, reliably, and professionally.

Our Representation

The attorneys within OGC are licensed in the following states: District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. Each attorney is responsible for providing legal support to specific divisions.

OGC represents American University and may not represent individual students, faculty, or staff except when these individuals are named as defendants in litigation as a result of actions or omissions within the course and scope of their employment or institutional representation. For personal legal advice, employees and students should consult a private attorney.

Subject Matter Assignments

Traevena Byrd, Vice President, General Counsel and Board Secretary

Subject matter assignments

Subject Matter	Division
Governance & Higher Education	Office of the President & Board of Trustees

Bethany J. Bridgham, Senior Associate General Counsel

Subject matter assignments

Subject Matter	Division
Commercial & Transactional Law	Office of Finance and Treasurer
Employee Benefits (Tax Related)	Payroll Office
Environmental Law	Office of Facilities Management
Taxation	Office of Finance and Treasurer
Trust & Estates	Office of Development

Qwendolyn Brown, Associate General Counsel-Real Estate and Business

Subject matter assignments

Subject Matter	Division
Campus Plan	Office of the President
Commercial & Transactional Law	Office of Finance and Treasurer
DC Regulatory Matters	Office of the President
Debt Collection & Bankruptcy	Human Resources & Office of Finance and Treasurer
Real Estate & Environmental Law	Office of Finance and Treasurer

Thi Nguyen-Southern, Associate General Counsel

Subject matter assignments

Subject Matter	Division
Employment Law	Human Resources & Office of Campus Life
Faculty Issues	Office of the Provost
Immigration	Office of the Provost & Office of Campus Life
Intellectual Property	Office of Sponsored Research
Telecommunications	WAMU

Justin Perillo, Associate General Counsel

Subject matter assignments

Subject Matter	Division
Athletics	Athletics
Commercial & Transactional Law	Office of Finance & Treasurer
Intellectual Property	Office of Sponsored Research
Scientific Research	Office of Sponsored Research
Student Issues	Office of Campus Life

Robert (Ben) Walker, Associate General Counsel

Subject matter assignments

Subject Matter	Division
International Agreements	Office of the Provost & Office of Campus Life
Labor and Employment Law	Human Resources
Student Issues	Office of Campus Life
Tuition & Financial Aid	Office of Enrollment
Trust & Estates	Office of Development