Margaret H. Marshall, the University's Vice President and General Counsel since November 1992, was confirmed Wednesday by the Governor's Council to serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts. It is expected that Marshall will be sworn in as a member of the Commonwealth's highest court at a State House ceremony on Oct. 31 at 11 a.m.

Anne Taylor, one of 10 University Attorneys in the Office of General Counsel and the OGC's Practice Coordinator since 1993, has agreed to serve as Acting Vice President and General Counsel while a search is conducted to identify Marshall's successor, President Neil L. Rudenstine announced. In addition, he said, University Attorney Robert Donin will act in the interim as the OGC's Practice Coordinator while continuing to serve as the Office's Administrative Coordinator.

Rudenstine said that the search for a new General Counsel will be nationwide in scope and will involve broad outreach within and beyond the University. The process will involve regular consultation with the Provost, the Deans of the Faculties, the Vice Presidents, and the legal community, Rudenstine said. Nominations, applications, and other correspondence concerning the search should be marked confidential and addressed to President Neil L. Rudenstine, c/o Michael Roberts, Secretary of the University and Assistant to the President, Harvard University, Massachusetts Hall, Cambridge MA 02138. A job description for the position will appear in next week's Gazette.