The mission of the Office of Legal Services is to provide accurate and timely legal advice and information to the governor, the director and the divisions of the Ohio Department of Administrative Services.

The Office of Legal Services supports the mission of the Ohio Department of Administrative Services by providing services to advance and protect the legal responsibilities and rights of the department through the development of solutions designed to minimize legal liabilities.

The Office of Legal Services sees preventive counseling as one of its major roles and seeks to provide timely and effective legal advice in order to prevent legal issues from occurring. The Chief Legal Counsel also serves as the department’s Chief Ethics Officer. Full legal services are provided and include assisting the Ohio Attorney General in trial preparation and discovery, advising on administrative rules and statutory requirements and providing recommendations on procurement, construction management, labor and human resources matters. Components of our services include:

• Responsive legal advice
• Proactive/preventative legal services
• Client self-service tools such as standardized contract terms and standardized procedures
• Compliance training
• Ethics advice

Paul Russell, Chief Legal Counsel and Ethics Officer
paul.russell@das.ohio.gov

Staci-rae Bixler, Associate Counsel
staci-rae.bixler@das.ohio.gov

Shane Black, Associate Counsel
shane.black@das.ohio.gov

Sharon Jennings, Associate Counsel
sharon.jennings@das.ohio.gov

Christine Kinworthy, Associate Counsel
chris.kinworthy@das.ohio.gov

Stephanie Warner, Associate Counsel
stephanie.l.warner@das.ohio.gov

Shelia Smith, Program Administrator
shelia.smith@das.ohio.gov