General Counsel

The General Counsel serves as the College's chief legal officer, and performs the following functions:

• provides general legal counsel to the President, the College's other officers, and the Board of Trustees, and advises on the legal ramifications of College policy and decision-making.
• performs the traditional functions associated with in-house counsel including but not limited to negotiating contracts, advising on employment matters, and ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
• engages and supervises the work of outside legal counsel, taking into account both the nature of the services they can provide and the fees they charge. Once engaged, the General Counsel ensures that services are provided in a manner that serves the College's interests. 

The members of the Office aim to advance the mission of Barnard College and provide useful and timely legal advice in support of that mission.

The materials on this site and related links are for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as legal advice. The attorneys in the Office of the General Counsel cannot provide legal advice to students or employees of Barnard College on personal matters.

If you have such questions, you should consult your personal counsel or contact the New York State Bar Association.

Disclaimer

The attorneys in the Office of the General Counsel represent Barnard College, not individuals students, faculty, or staff, except when legal issues arise as a result of actions taken during the course and scope of employment and/or while acting on behalf of the College. 

This website is maintained by the Office of the General Counsel. If you have any questions regarding its content, please contact our office. 

The Office of the General Counsel provides notary services in connection with official Barnard College business.

Please note that, in compliance with New York law, you are required to produce to the notary public evidence of identity in the form of a current document issued by the federal or a state government. This document must contain both your photo and signature. A Barnard College ID by itself is not sufficient.

From time to time, College personnel receive official legal documents. Examples include subpoenas requiring the College to produce copies of records in court proceedings, summonses notifying the College that a lawsuit has been commenced against it, notices of bankruptcy, and notices informing the College of its right to participate in consumer class action suits. Such notices are sometimes addressed to the College itself "Barnard College" or "Trustees of Barnard College,” the College's legal name or to individually named officials of the College. In some instances, legal notices are received by mail; in other instances, they may be hand-delivered by a "process server".

In general, you should not accept a summons or subpoena that is addressed to another individual or department, unless that individual or department has specifically authorized you to accept it. If you do not have explicit and specific authority to accept service of a summons or subpoena addressed to another individual or department, you should tell the process server that you do not have authority to accept service of the document, that the document will not be delivered to the individual or department to whom it is addressed, and that the document should be taken to the Office of the General Counsel (475 Riverside Drive, Suite 430), which will determine whether it can be accepted by the College.

If you do receive a summons or subpoena involving College business, please inform the Office of the General Counsel immediately, preferably the same day. You should also keep a record of the date, time, and method (by hand or mail) by which you received the notice.

If you are contacted by an attorney for any of the parties, please refer them to the Office of the General Counsel.

Office of the General Counsel 
3009 Broadway 
New York, NY 10027
P: (212) 853 - 7825

Jomysha Stephen, Esq.
Executive Vice President of the College and General Counsel 
jstephen@barnard.edu

Kathleen Veteri, Esq.
Deputy General Counsel
kveteri@barnard.edu

Rachel Munoz, Esq.
Associate General Counsel
rmunoz@barnard.edu

Melissa Rooker, Esq.
Associate General Counsel
mrooker@barrnard.edu

Jasmin Izquierdo, JD
Assistant General Counsel 
jizquier@barnard.edu

Michelle Avelar
Department Administrator
mavelar@barnard.edu