About

Attorneys in the Office of Legal Affairs, with combined decades of experience in higher education law, work to ensure that the University achieves its mission and objectives in a manner that is consistent with applicable laws and policies. The Office of Legal Affairs' ultimate duty is to represent the interests of the institution.

University attorneys and the administrative staff in the Office of Legal Affairs work as a team to address the numerous other types of legal work that come into the Office. Please see bios for a description of practice areas. You may not know which attorney is best suited to assist with your particular legal issue. Feel free to contact an attorney with whom you have previously dealt, and you will be referred as necessary, or email%20legalFREEDUQUESNE for assistance.

The Senior Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel is the chief legal officer for the University and serves as legal advisor to the President, Board of Directors, cabinet and other administrators.  In addition, attorneys in the Office of Legal Affairs provide legal advice and representation to the University, its administrators, employees, and other agents of the University who seek such advice on behalf of the University arising out of their official University responsibilities. The Office of Legal Affairs also employs and coordinates the work of outside counsel and is responsible for the legal aspects of University contracts and other legal matters.

The University is a large and complex organization, with many individual decision-makers who exercise responsibilities on its behalf.  We strive to work with the University community in a proactive manner, practicing "preventive law" where possible to minimize the University's exposure to legal risks. We also provide day-to-day legal support of the University's operations and, where necessary, protect the University's interests.

Role of University Attorneys in Investigations

This statement addresses the relationship between an individual employee, officer or member of the Board of Directors (collectively “employee” or employees”) and a University attorney (defined herein as either an attorney employed by the University in the Office of Legal Affairs or an external attorney retained by the University, sometimes called “outside counsel”), when the University attorney is investigating a particular matter.  For information about the role of University attorneys more broadly, please refer to TAP No. 64.

By law, a University attorney owes allegiance to the University - that is, to the institution itself. The University speaks and acts through its Board of Directors, officers, deans, and other authorized representatives, and University attorneys take instruction from such authorized representatives of the University, unless the attorney's independent professional judgment leads to a conclusion that an authorized representative is acting, or has acted, contrary to law or the University's interest.

In order to ascertain facts, consider alternative courses of action, and otherwise assist the University, University attorneys must often communicate with University employees.  When a University attorney interviews or communicates with an employee about a University matter, that employee should understand that the attorney may disclose to other University personnel, or to others if authorized by the University, the content of the communication to the extent that the attorney deems it appropriate to protect or promote the University's interests.  Further, although the communication between the University attorney and the employee may in some circumstances be protected by the University's attorney-client privilege from compulsory disclosure to third parties, the decision whether to assert or waive the privilege belongs to the University, not to the employee.

In most circumstances, the interests of the University and employees will be congruent. It is then appropriate for a University attorney to represent, for example, an individual faculty or staff member at the same time the attorney represents the University. Employees and University community members should be aware, however, if it develops that the University's interests come into conflict in a material way with those of the employee, the attorney would have to withdraw from representation of the employee.  In such situations, the attorney may often properly remain as counsel for the University even if the University takes a position adverse to the employee.

Pamela L. Wilkins, Senior Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel

Wilkins has practiced in the field of higher education law for over 20 years and serves as Duquesne University’s chief legal counsel. She is responsible for the University's Division of Legal Affairs, which includes the Offices of Legal Affairs, Human Resources, and Risk Management.  The Office of Legal Affairs, led by Wilkins as General Counsel, includes a team of three experienced higher education attorneys who are responsible for the legal affairs of the University.

Prior to joining Duquesne, Wilkins practiced in higher education both as inside and outside counsel to many different types of educational institutions.  For a number of years, she was an executive administrator and in-house counsel at the University of Pittsburgh, where she also taught the Law of Higher Education.  

Wilkins serves as Vice Chair of the Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting Corporation Board of Directors.  She formerly served on the executive and governance committees of Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures.  She is also a member of the Hay-Sell Pittsburgh American Inn of Court, the Allegheny County Bar Association and the National Association of College and University Attorneys.  Wilkins holds a bachelor's degree in economics from the Pennsylvania State University and earned her juris doctor from the University of Pittsburgh.

Jennifer S. Fink, Assistant Vice President for Legal Affairs and Associate General Counsel

Jennifer has broad-based experience in Higher Education.  She joined Duquesne in 2015, and prior to that time spent two years in the University of Pittsburgh’s Office of University Counsel.  Jennifer also previously served as an Associate Attorney at Post & Schell, P.C. 

In her role within the Office of Legal Affairs, Jennifer has a wide portfolio of responsibility at Duquesne, and focuses on matters including student affairs, academic affairs, employment, anti-discrimination, Title IX, accommodations, University policy, privacy, research, management of litigation from an in-house perspective, and matters unique to higher education such as tenure, NCAA compliance, FERPA, and degree conferral and revocation.  Jennifer works with Student Affairs, Student Life, Academic Affairs, Global Engagement, Health Services, Athletics, Facilities Management and others. 

Jennifer also leads the Risk Management department, which includes the Offices of Title IX, Anti-Discrimination Compliance, Environmental Health and Safety and Insurance. 

Jennifer received her law degree from the University of Pittsburgh and her undergraduate degree from Allegheny College. She is a Member of the Board of Directors for Avonworth Municipal Authority.  She is a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys, the University Risk Management Association, and the Allegheny County Bar Association.

Shane Sarver, Associate General Counsel

Shane joined Duquesne’s Office of Legal Affairs in the Fall of 2019.  Prior to that, he worked for a large telecommunications company, spent time in private practice, and served as a judicial law clerk in the Westmoreland County Court of the Common Pleas.

In his capacity as Associate General Counsel, Shane focuses on commercial transactions, including contract drafting, negotiation, review and disputes, intellectual property (copyright and trademark), and data privacy matters. He also offers legal advice in other areas such as labor relations, litigation, and real estate. He regularly advises various schools and departments, including Athletics, the College of Osteopathic Medicine, CTS, Facilities Management, Health Sciences, Marketing, Nursing, and Research. Shane serves as an advisory member of the Conflict Review Committee and the Data Governance Committee.

Shane received his law degree from the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University and his undergraduate degree from Duquesne’s McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts. He is a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys and the Allegheny County Bar Association.