Legal Responsibilities for Events

Release Forms

The purposes of a general release and informed consent (indemnification, hold harmless agreement) are to protect a sponsoring organization from lawsuits that could arise from personal injuries and to inform the participants of the nature of the activities and any risk involved. These release forms are appropriate when the event contains an inherent amount of risk (such as events involving minors on campus, university-wide events, etc). This does not mean that having all the participants sign a form removes the responsibility of the organization to exercise proper care and good planning. All participants must complete all relevant and pertinent release forms prior to the start of the activity. If a participant is under 18 years of age, a parent or guardian must also sign his/her form.

Assistance and Support for Legal Responsibilities

The General Counsel and the Office for Risk Management may assist organizations with planning the event and in preparing the proper forms. The Office for General Counsel is located on the second floor of Pat Neff Hall (254-710-3821). The Office for Risk Management is located in the basement of Pat Neff Hall (254-710-3867). Questions about insurance and the approval of drivers may be addressed to Risk Management as well.