Legal Services Office

What we cannot do

We cannot provide legal advice to individual employees of the University about personal matters. The Office may act for employees only where the matter arises out of the work of the employee in that capacity, provided that the employee's interests are the same as those of the University and the Registrary or other delegated officer consents.

Except where there is an actual or potential conflict of interest, the Legal Services Office may act for subsidiary companies of the University, for the trustees of the Cambridge University Assistants' Contributory Pension Scheme and for joint venture vehicles in which the University has an interest, but the Office cannot act for, or advise, any other third parties, including students, visiting academics and trustees of trusts associated with the University. We cannot act for employees in respect of their shareholdings in spin out companies or the exploitation of intellectual property which they own and have decided to exploit themselves.

The Legal Services Office works with the Legal Affairs and Employment Sub-Committee of the College Bursars' Committee on issues of mutual relevance to the University and the Colleges, but it does not act for the Colleges, which have distinct corporate identity. In addition, while the Office liaises on legal matters with the University Press and the Local Examinations Syndicate, it does not supply legal services to these bodies, which, although constituent parts of the University, have their own separate arrangements.

The Legal Services Office does not resolve disputes within the University.