General Counsel Position Available In Macon, Alabama

General Counsel
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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 whistleblower 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 competent legal advice and counsel on a wide range of legal/policy issues
Deal with complex matters with multiple stakeholders and prioritize workload successfully and appropriately
Interpret and apply policies and procedures
Communicate and interact with members of the University with a wide range of individuals of constituencies in a diverse community
Research and interpret applicable laws, analyze, and interpret issues and to prepare legal opinions learn and apply new legal principles, manage a sizeable volume of projects with hard deadlines and respond to the needs of various client representatives
Supervise and train staff, including organizing, prioritizing, and scheduling work assignments
Anticipate and plan for changes
Lead, direct and/or influence others to obtain results using a wide degree of creativity and latitude
Understand, diagnose and plan for business issues, processes, structure, outcomes, and profitability
Generate and/or recognize imaginative or creative solutions that generate successful outcomes