Office of Chief Counsel:

Providing Innovative Legal Solutions and

Superior Customer Service through

Uncompromising Ethical Standards and Dedication.

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The Office of Chief Counsel (formerly "Legal Section") was created in 1987 and has an exceptional and dedicated staff of eight professionals who manage the legal affairs of the Department of Administration and serve as the chief legal advisors to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Administration, division directors, and managers. The Office of Chief Counsel is responsible for all the legal work arising from the activities of the Department and provides legal advice and services in a wide variety of areas of law, including legislation, constitutional, commercial transactions, employment, real estate, litigation, leases, contracts, open records and open meetings, and administrative regulations.

The services provided to the Department of Administration by the Office of Chief Counsel include, but are not limited to, the following:

Advise the Secretary of Administration, the Division of Personnel Services and Division Directors on personnel matters and labor relations issues.
Provide legal assistance to the Division of Accounts and Reports regarding accounts receivable setoff programs, payroll matters, and reimbursement issues.
Advise the Division of Facilities Management regarding real estate, construction, and property management issues.
Advise procurement negotiation committees as well as the Division of Purchases on procurement, negotiation, and contracting issues.
Review contracts and real estate leases for the procurement or rental of various goods and services used on behalf of the State of Kansas.
Assist in drafting legislative bills for the Department, including statutory amendments and new statutory authorization.
Assist Department personnel in reviewing and interpreting Constitutional law, statutory authority, and judicial rulings.
Assist Department personnel in developing and drafting policies and procedures for the benefit of the Department as well as the State of Kansas.
Represent the Department in litigation or other legal disputes in which the Department is a party.
Rules and Regulations: Approving, Editing, and Drafting -- Click here for a description of these services the Office of Chief Counsel provides other governmental agencies within the State of Kansas.
Policy and Procedure Manual For the Filing of Kansas Administrative Regulations (.pdf) (file size 257kb)

Some of the documents on this web page are provided in Adobe Portable Document Format (.pdf). In order to view or print these documents, you will need to download and install the free Adobe Acrobat Reader (click here for further instructions).

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Thank you for attending our Spring Continuing Legal Education seminar.

Our next CLE is scheduled for Friday, October 10, 2008.

Please check this website in August for more details.

NOTICE: The Office of Chief Counsel provides legal assistance to
the Department of Administration and CANNOT ADVISE PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS.