The OGC serves as the legal counsel for USC, Keck Medicine of USC, and certain of their subsidiaries and affiliates. Faculty, staff, and students should not retain outside counsel to represent or provide legal services to any of these entities. The OGC advises on legal and regulatory questions related to USC’s activities, including transactional matters, dispute resolution, and policy formulation. Only the OGC may retain outside counsel on behalf of the university. Therefore, please contact the OGC if the need to retain outside counsel might arise.
The OGC represents employees only for those matters within the course and scope of their employment, subject to California Labor Code Section 2802. The OGC cannot provide legal advice or assistance for members of the USC community in their personal capacity. The Undergraduate Student Government does provide free legal counseling to the student population at USC. This service is available to both undergraduate and graduate students.
The Report & Response website is an easy-to-use online location where USC community members and visitors can report concerns, including suspected violations of law or university policies, and get the support they need. In addition to the Report & Response website, concerns and questions can be directed to 213-740-2500 or 800-348-7454 (toll-free). This number is staffed by live operators 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.