Attorneys

Shari F. Crittendon

Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel

Shari was appointed General Counsel of K-State in June 2020. She earned her law degree from the Francis King Carey School of Law at the University of Maryland and a bachelor's degree in communication and rhetorical studies/public policy from Syracuse University. Prior to K-State, Crittendon served as senior corporate counsel and director of outreach and compliance for the Constitutional Law Center for Muslims in America. Previously, Crittendon was vice president, general counsel and secretary of the corporation of the United Negro College Fund, Inc., known as UNCF, where she served as strategic advisor and counsel to the president and CEO, senior management and the board of directors regarding legal, regulatory, governance and legislative matters. As principal of her own firm, Crittendon represented tax-exempt organizations and school systems on employment, governance and compliance matters. Earlier in her career, Crittendon was assistant general counsel at Morgan State University and also practiced in the commercial litigation groups of two Mid-Atlantic law firms.

Primary Practice Areas : University & Strategic Leadership, including Cabinet, Deans’ Council & Controlled Corporation CEOs; Governance, Compliance & Policy; First Amendment & Free Speech; Equity, Nondiscrimination & Title IX; Intercollegiate Athletics; Data Security; and Litigation & Administrative Proceedings

 

Blake Billings

Deputy General Counsel

Blake Billings joined the Office of General Counsel in 2021. Before joining K-State, he served as an attorney for Texas Tech University, where his experience included matters ranging from employment, student affairs, and athletics, to contracting, compliance, and litigation. Blake began his career in private legal practice with two Texas law firms, where his clients included colleges, athletics conferences, government entities, non-profits, and public-private partnerships. He received his J.D. from Southern Methodist University, where he served as Managing Editor of the SMU Law Review, and his B.B.A. in finance from Texas Christian University. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in higher education research at Texas Tech.

Primary Practice Areas : Office of Research; Risk & Compliance; Conflicts of Interest; Academic Collaborations; Controlled Corporations; certain Employee & Student matters; Accessibility & Accommodations; Threat Management; and Office of General Counsel Operations.

 

Robert C. Large

Senior Associate General Counsel

Robert Large returned to the Office of General Counsel on a telecommuting basis in September 2019. He most recently served as an Associate General Counsel for Florida State University. Prior to that, Robert served as an attorney in the K-State Office of General Counsel, as a staff attorney and later Chief Legal Counsel for the Kansas Department of Agriculture, as a civilian attorney with the Fort Riley Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, and as an Assistant General Counsel for the Florida Department of Education. Robert earned his J.D. from the Florida State University College of Law in 2007 and his B.S. in Finance and Political Science from Florida State University in 2004.

Primary Practice Areas : Labor & Employment matters, including broad support for Human Capital Services; Litigation & Administrative Hearings; Open Records; Open Meetings; FERPA & Privacy matters; and general support for programs and matters unique to the College of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture, and K-State Research Extension.

 

Erin Sommer Good

Associate General Counsel

Erin Good joined the Office of General Counsel in 2018. She earned her J.D. from Washburn University, where she graduated with Dean's Honors and served as Managing Editor of the Washburn Law Journal. She completed her undergraduate education at the University of Kansas. Before joining the legal team at K-State, Erin spent five years in private practice with a litigation firm in Wichita. She also served as a research attorney for the Honorable Patrick McAnany with the Kansas Court of Appeals.

Primary Practice Areas : Student matters, including broad support for the Office of Student Life; Equity, Nondiscrimination & Title IX; Labor & Employment; and general support for matters unique to the College of Engineering.

 

Aaron J. Good

Associate General Counsel

Aaron Good joined the Office of General Counsel in 2019. He earned his J.D. from Washburn University, where he graduated with Dean's Honors and served as a Research Editor of the Washburn Law Journal. Aaron graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in history prior to attending law school. Before joining the legal team at K-State, Aaron spent over seven years in private practice with a litigation firm in Wichita.

Primary Practice Areas : Intercollegiate Athletics, Purchasing, Procurement & Contracting; Subpoenas; Real Estate, Facilities & Construction; Student Housing & Dining; and Open Records.

 

Office Staff

Deb Simone

Executive Assistant

Deb joined the Office of General Counsel in November 2020. She has served the K-State community in multiple office and leadership support roles since 2003, including the Office of Institutional Equity, Global Campus Dean's Office, and the former College of Human Ecology Dean's Office.

 

Samantha Tiroch

Paralegal

Samantha joined the Office of General Counsel in February 2020. She attended Upper Iowa University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in accounting. She has over two years of legal experience working for the magistrate judge at Geary County District Court.

 

 

DISCLAIMER: The materials presented here are for general informational purposes only. Nothing contained within this site and related links may be construed as legal advice from the K-State Office of General Counsel. Laws, regulations and policies change frequently. Legal advice can be provided only in the course of an attorney-client relationship with reference to all of the facts of a specific situation. This information, therefore, must not be relied on as a substitute for obtaining legal advice from a licensed attorney. If you have legal questions or need legal advice pertaining to University matters, please contact the Office of General Counsel directly.