Heather Buchanan, JD

Heather joined the Office of Legal Affairs in 2026 as part of the Litigation practice group. Heather works closely with outside counsel and the Office of the Attorney General on a wide variety of pre-litigation and litigation matters, including personal injury claims, premises liability claims, employment/faculty claims, contract disputes, constitutional law, and public records. Heather also provides counsel on risk management.

Before joining Ohio State, Heather served at the Ohio Attorney General’s Office for 10 years. Most recently she was the Assistant Chief of the Education Section where she represented Ohio’s public universities and two-year community and technical colleges, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, the Ohio Department of Higher Education, and other state-level education boards and commissions. Before that Heather was the Director of Open Government. In that role she advised state clients on compliance with Ohio’s Public Records and Open Meetings Acts and litigated and mediated public records litigation. Heather was also a Principal Assistant Attorney General in the Constitutional Office’s Section where she was litigation counsel for Ohio’s statewide elected officials, including the Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, and the Supreme Court of Ohio.
 

Professional Affiliations:
National Association of College and University Attorneys

Education: 
J.D., The University of North Carolina
B.A., Colgate University, magna cum laude

Administrative Support: 
Laura Arnett