Attorneys and Staff
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 has served K-State as Deputy General Counsel since 2021. As a career higher education attorney, Blake’s experience spans the domain of university legal issues—from research, student affairs, and intercollegiate athletics, to employment, compliance, contracting, and litigation defense. Before joining K-State, Blake served as an attorney for the Texas Tech University System and its component universities, including Texas Tech, two academic medical centers, and two comprehensive regional institutions. He began his career in private legal practice, where his clients included colleges, foundations, athletics conferences, government entities, non-profits, and public-private partnerships.
Blake received his Ph.D. in higher education from Texas Tech University. His doctoral and ongoing research focuses on university organizational behavior and the role and relationships of university attorneys. 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.
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.
Vacant
Senior Associate General Counsel
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
John Malabanan
Executive Assistant
John joined the office of General counsel in April 2024. He is an Army Veteran serving from 2009-2013, prior to graduating from K-State in 2017 with a degree in Human Nutrition. He previously worked at Irwin Army Community Hospital at Fort Riley, where he performed various clinical and administrative roles throughout his career, with over 10 years of healthcare experience.
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.