Office of the General Counsel

The Office of General Counsel (OGC) protects the legal interests of the Smithsonian Institution. The OGC has 14 attorneys who provide legal advice and counsel to the Board of Regents, Secretary, and other Smithsonian staff on various issues including: the legal nature and administration of the Institution, intellectual property, employment, collections management, contracts, ethics, tax, tort claims, etc.

The OGC represents the Smithsonian in litigation and other adversarial proceedings to which the Institution is a party and before federal, state, and local government entities on administrative matters; issues final determinations on administrative tort and personal property claims against the Smithsonian; and generally monitors developments in the law for application to Smithsonian programs. The Smithsonian Institution is represented in litigation by the Department of Justice and the Offices of the United States Attorney.