Lawrence Rudolph

Lawrence Rudolph was appointed General Counsel on May 21, 1995. He serves as the legal adviser and advocate for the Director, the National Science Board, and the National Science Foundation in general. The Office of the General Counsel is responsible for the entire range of legal issues that comes before the Foundation, and it primarily addresses matters concerning government grants and contracts, Freedom of Information, Privacy and Sunshine Act issues, conflicts of interest, intellectual property, Federal personnel practices, the environment, regulation of research, Federal administrative procedures, international agreements, and law and science policy.

Prior to his appointment as General Counsel, Mr. Rudolph served the Foundation as Assistant General Counsel (1988) and then Deputy General Counsel. From 1982 to 1988 he was a Senior Attorney and then Deputy Assistant Director at the Office of Hearings and Appeals, U.S. Department of Energy; an associate at the D.C. law firm of Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand from 1978 to 1982; and a staff attorney with the U.S. Interstate Commerce Commission's Office of Proceedings from 1976 to 1978.

Mr. Rudolph has substantial expertise in administrative and court litigation, law and science policy issues, and environmental issues involving the U.S. Antarctic Program. He has written articles and spoken on issues as diverse as scientific misconduct, technology transfer, the human genome, Antarctic environmental regulation, and investigator financial disclosure. In recognition of his career achievements, dedication to human resource development, and overall contributions to the management of the agency, Mr. Rudolph received the Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive in 1997. He also received the Director's Distinguished Service Award in 1999, the highest honorary award conferred by the Foundation upon those "who render singularly outstanding service within or beyond their required duties."

Mr. Rudolph earned a B.A. degree in English (Summa Cum Laude) from Adelphi University in 1973, and was the first alumnus ever appointed to serve a three-year term on the University's Board of Trustees immediately following graduation. He received his J.D. degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1976, where he also served as Lead Articles Editor on The Tax Lawyer Law Review. He is admitted to the District of Columbia and Pennsylvania Bars, as well as the D.C. District Court and Circuit Court of Appeals. He is also a member of the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, and American Bar Associations.

The materials on this website do not constitute legal advice. You should consult with an OGC attorney before acting on or convey to anyone outside NSF any interpretation of these materials. For details, see our disclaimer.