page 10
thursday, September 4, 1980
daily nebraskan
NU's attorney
By Patti Gallagher
He serves all three branches of NU. ,
He has the central administration looking over his
shoulder.
The NU Board of Regents is his boss.
He's NU's attorney, and he agrees that the all-inclusive
title covers most of what it implies.
Officially-titled NU general counsel, Richard Wood
admits that he does have a little help in being legal
guardian of the university, but that he remains responsible
to the regents for everything filtered through his office.
Filtered though last semester: the Josh McDowell case.
It was Wood's legal advice to the regents that their exist
ing prohibition of religious speakers at the university was
unconstitutional under the First Amendment.
Filtered through last spring: a UNL track team member
attempting to sue the university and the Big Eight Confer
ence in what Wood called a reverse discrimination case.
After three days in federal court, NU and the Big Eight
triumphed.
Filtered through daily: requests; for legal advice, pre
paration for litigation and drafting of legal documents.
"One of the frustrating things
is my inability to stay
on top of everything . .
Working primarily with the administration and the
regents, Wood also provides legal services to NU faculty
and staff. He is aided in his duties by senior UNL law stu
dent John Wiltse, and two law firms, from Lincoln and
Omaha.
Wood said the university may be involved in 12 to 18
legal cases at any one time, but that only one-third of the
cases are handled by him personally.
Responsible to regents
"But 1 am nonetheless responsible to the Board of
Regents to the progress of the case," Wood said.
In addition to providing legal advice and litigation,
Wood works with NU collective bargaining units. The sole
unit currently operating in the university system is UNL's
faculty bargaining unit, the American Association of Uni
versity Professors. NU's Omaha law firm is presently help
ing the AAUP negotiate salary terms and conditions with
the regents.
Some UNL faculty members began efforts to form a
bargaining unit last year, but Wood said he was not aware
of the current status of their efforts.
As university attorney, Wood is also required to attend
all meetings of the regents, to serve as an on-the-spot legal
referee. Cases of tort claims-personal or property damages-are
handled by the legal representative of the uni
versity's liability insurance.
Wood said it is rare that a case involving a student will
reach his office. Most student cases are handled on lower
as regents9 legal guardian
levels or settled out of court. He said, however, that stu
dents have the right to go before the regents with their
petitions and concerns, providing they have properly
secured a spot on the board's agenda.
. Successful 'so far
Has Wood been successful as the university counsel?
"So far . . ." he said. But then, "not all litigation goes
to final judgment." He conceded that he's got one or two
losses on his record.
Accepting the appointed position from Nl) President
Ronald Roskens in January of 1979, Wood previously had
a private legal practice in Lincoln. Before beginning his
practice he served as a city attorney in Lincoln.
K'1 (if
v-; -'-
Daily Nebraskan Photo
Richard Wood, general counsel for NU
ASUN tables appellate body act
By Patti Gallagher
An act to adopt the University Appeals Board as the
appellate body to Student Court was tabled on a 16-8-0
vote Wednesday night at the ASUN Senate meeting.
The act, introduced last week, would provide a second
level of hearing to Student Court, which hears cases in
volving student organizations. Student Court has been
without an appellate body for several years, violating
the ASUN constitution, which mandates one.
The act was tabled to review an outline proposed by
Student Court Chief Justice Scott Cook. Cook's proposals
specify procedure guidelines for the appeals board if it
were acting as the Student Court appellate body.
Cook said the guidelines do not attempt to change the
role of the appeals board, but would exist to insure
smooth operations between the board and Student Court,
if the act were passed.
Because of the length and complexity of Cook's guide
lines, some ASUN members said they wanted the original
act passed without them. Other members, said that be
cause appeals board members have not even been selected
yet, additional time should be given to study Cook's
proposals anddetermine how to best implement them.
The need for an appellate body arose last semester
when four student groups were tried in Student Court for
a violation of NU Board of Regents religious policy on
speakers. The groups, sponsoring religious lectureer Josh
McDowell, were placed on organizational probation for
one year when no appellate body was available to rehear
thacase
Pl In otjw discussion, the senate rallied for ideas for
Students Day. Students' Day is an ASUN-sponsored
event held on a football Saturday to bring student con
cerns before their fellow students to wear blue on
Students Day to denote their concern in student issues
Senators debated on whether to increase or decrease'
the "political overtones" of the day.
According to First Vice President Mark Hirschfeld last
year s Students' Day produced much negative reac ion
Senator Tim Rinne said the event should not take the
nice guy approach," but instead inform Nebraskans of
the umvensty's critical financial needs and the studen
body's awareness of those needs.
ASUN has to decide whose reactions and respect are
being sought on Students Day, according to ASUN presi
dent Renee Wessels.
"We have to decide whether we want the respect of
the faculty arid the administration behind us or the
respect of the regents," Wessels said.
She advocated a more verbal approach to Students
Day.
"If you veil and scream loud enough someone is goine
to hear you, she said. 6
She added that hopefully persons within hearing dis
tance are those coalitions or individuals-such as senators
-who can bring student concerns beforre the regents most
v 1 1 v C I 1 Y C IV
Other suggestions for Students Day activities included
moving it to mid-week, using displays; speakers and pre
sentations, and changing the day's philoslphy to honoring
students.
With fin undergraduate decree from the University e
Iowa, Wood graduated from NU's College of Law in 1964.
He also spent two years in the army after law school.
Wood is married and has four children.
Wood said he enjoys his post and association with the
faculty and administration, but that his workload seems
endless.
"One of the frustrating things is my inability to stay on
top of everything that comes in," he said.
But he said that he does close his office door in
Regents Hall often enough to find some free time for him
self. Part of the free time is consumed, however, by his
gubernatorial appointment to Nebraska's Power Review
Board.
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