General Counsel

Position Details

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Position Information

Position Title
General Counsel

Status
Full Time

Job Summary

The General Counsel will lead the legal and government affairs department and manages all government affairs for Tuskegee University. As a trusted advisor and business partner, the General Counsel collaborates with senior leadership to provide strategic legal counsel ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations while mitigating risk and supporting the University's vision, mission, and strategic goals. In addition to working with internal stakeholders (faculty, staff, students, Board of Trustees), the General Counsel may represent the University with local/state/national government officials and the public.

This position will serve as a member of the President's Cabinet.

Essential Job Duties

• Provide expert legal advice and counsel on university matters including:

Governance, compliance, and risk management

Employment law and labor relations

Contracts and commercial transactions

Commercial real estate

Intellectual property

Litigation and dispute resolution

Data privacy and cybersecurity

Academic affairs including student and faculty matters

• Communicates with key stakeholders through periodic updates on active, pending, and potential litigation
• Reviews, researches, interprets, and prepares both written and oral opinions on a wide variety of legal issues for the organization
• Manages the legal department including but not limited to contract administration, timely and accurate counsel to leadership and respective departments, ongoing legal projects, litigation management and external counsel and legal compliance
• Ensures the University is in compliance with Federal, State, and other external agencies rules and regulations, including but not limited to adherence with Title IX, Clery Act, Violence Against Women's Act (VAWA) and Campus SaVE regulations, as defined by the Department of Education and other designated agencies
• Assists the compliance department ensuring compliance practices are followed. This includes oversight of the university's whistle blower hotline and Enterprise Risk Management program
• Reviews legal team's correspondence, memoranda, notes, reports, pleadings, subpoenas, affidavits, legal briefs, and other documents in compliance with organization policies and procedures and administrative agency, Federal, State, and local court requirements
• Selects and retains outside counsel to obtain legal opinions or to manage claims and litigation
• Reviews and counsels leadership including Board of Trustees on policies and procedures, regulations, bylaws, and other legal documents
• Oversees and engages, when necessary, in discovery and document review, fact investigation and research
• Represents or oversees the representation of the organization in judicial and administrative proceedings
• Stays informed of and navigates evolving legal landscape and regulations related to higher education
• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications (Education, Experience and Specialized Training)

• Juris Doctorate degree
• Ten (10) years of relevant experience in a legal-counsel role
• Higher education experience preferred
• Active license to practice law;
  Alabama licensure is required

Physical Demands

• Prolonged sitting or standing
• Stooping, bending, and reaching
• Reaching by extending hands or arms in any direction
• Ability to operate standard office equipment
• Ability to walk short distances
• Ability to view a computer terminal; extensive reading

Skills and Attributes

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

The following generally describes the knowledge, skills and ability required to enter the job

Knowledge of:

• Developing new insights into situations; questions conventional approaches; encourages new ideas and innovations; designs and implements new or innovative programs and processes
• Preparation and processing requirements of legal pleadings and documents in accordance with State and Federal rules

Skills:

• Superior critical thinking, analytical, independent judgment, problem-solver, customer service, high attention to detail with strong strategic skills
• Work independently and foster a cooperative spirit within a large and/or small team of diverse cultures across the University and within all level
• Excellent research, writing and communication skills
• Proficiency with the formatting of legal pleadings and documents in accordance with State and Federal rules

Ability to:

• Develop and implement legal strategies and solutions and provide…