Senior Counsel

Overview

This role provides legal advice and support across a broad range of university matters under general supervision. Primary focus areas include employment law counseling, litigation and dispute management, and student-related legal issues and escalations.

The Senior Counsel serves as a trusted advisor to university leadership and key stakeholders by delivering practical, risk-based guidance that supports institutional objectives while ensuring legal and regulatory compliance. The position requires strong judgment, initiative, and the ability to manage complex matters independently in a dynamic environment. The role also emphasizes innovation in legal service delivery, including effective and responsible use of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and client service.

Compensation & Benefits

• Annual Salary: $89,520.00 - $120,850.00
• Salary offers will be commensurate with experience and will generally fall within this range, absent exceptional circumstances.
• The minimum salary will be offered based on the minimum exemption threshold based on state of residency.
• Base pay is one component of the organization’s total rewards package, including comprehensive well-being benefits for you and your family. Full benefit plan details are available through the organization’s benefits resources.

Responsibilities

• Provide practical, business-oriented legal advice and counsel to university leadership and departments on legal, regulatory, and operational matters.
• Serve as the primary legal advisor to Human Resources on employment-related matters, including:
  • Employee relations
  • Workplace investigations
  • Policy interpretation
  • Performance management
  • Accommodations
  • Leaves of absence
  • Wage and hour compliance
  • Employee separations
• Manage the university’s litigation portfolio, including:
  • Pre-litigation disputes
  • Administrative agency matters
  • Subpoenas
  • Claims
  • Threatened litigation
  • Active litigation
• Coordinate litigation strategy, including oversight of discovery and document preservation efforts.
• Manage and oversee outside counsel and other legal service providers to ensure high-quality representation, efficient matter management, and effective stewardship of university resources.
• Advise university leaders on student-related legal issues and high-level student escalations, including disputes, complaints, appeals, conduct issues, and other matters affecting student experience and institutional risk.
• Conduct legal research and analysis and provide timely guidance on federal, state, and local laws and regulations affecting higher education operations.
• Draft, review, negotiate, and revise settlement documents, policies, correspondence, and other legal documents.
• Collaborate with university departments to identify, assess, and mitigate legal and operational risks while supporting strategic initiatives and organizational objectives.
• Leverage legal technology solutions—including artificial intelligence tools, document automation, and other emerging technologies—to improve efficiency, quality, and delivery of legal services while ensuring responsible and compliant use.
• Champion innovation and continuous improvement within the legal function by evaluating and adopting new tools, processes, and technologies that enhance effectiveness, productivity, and client service.
• Mentor legal support staff, which may include supervising junior Counsel, paralegal, and support staff as assigned.
• Ensure files and documents are maintained in accordance with office and university retention policies, protocols, and procedures, with accuracy, thoroughness, and timeliness.
• Participate in projects and other high-level initiatives and perform general legal matters as assigned.
• Exhibit initiative and leadership potential, with consistent delivery on complex legal matters.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Education & Experience

  • Juris Doctorate from an accredited Law School required.
  • Active bar membership with preference for California license, or multi-state practice.
  • Five (5) plus years of relevant legal experience with increasing complexity and scope required.
  • Three (3) years of previous experience as in-house Counsel preferred.
  • Experience in higher education preferred.
  • Experience working in a technology-driven enterprise preferred.
  • All skills, abilities, and education will be considered for minimum qualifications.

• Competencies / Technical / Functional Skills

  • Demonstrated ability to produce high quality work product within tight deadlines.
  • Excellent research, writing, and communication skills.
  • Ability to learn and apply new legal principles, manage a large volume of work and deadlines, and respond to needs of various client representatives.
  • Diligent, hard-working, and able to thrive in a fast-paced, collegial team environment.
  • Demonstrated ability to edit and review legal documents and identify inaccuracies and omissions.
  • Proficiency in formatting legal pleadings/documents in accordance with state and federal rules, with working knowledge of preparation and processing requirements.
  • Ability to make independent decisions and solve problems, with emphasis on interpreting and applying specialized and complex university policies and procedures.
  • Strong customer service skills with very high level of diplomacy and professionalism.
  • Ability to pay close attention to accuracy and detail.
  • Ability to work in a very fast-paced environment with frequent interruptions and changing deadlines.
  • Ability to communicate information clearly and understandably, both verbally and in writing, including composing and editing complex correspondence and documents with strong command of English grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
  • Ability to work independently and in a specific direction.
  • Strong strategic and analytic skills to research, analyze, and report on issues, policies, and procedures and recommend enhancements.
  • Excellent organizational and time management skills, including planning and organizing work, setting priorities, and coordinating multiple assignments with fluctuating, time-sensitive deadlines.
  • Working knowledge of, or ability to quickly learn, university infrastructure, policies, and procedures.
  • Ability to interpret, communicate, and apply policies and procedures.
  • Excellent computer skills and proficiency with a variety of platforms and applications, including word-processing, spreadsheets, databases, online systems, internet, online calendar and email, including Microsoft Office, Office 365, and Adobe.
  • Ability to foster communication and teamwork by maintaining a positive, cooperative, and productive work atmosphere within and outside the university and building effective working relationships with a diverse population and individuals from various cultural backgrounds.
  • Ability to use tact and diplomacy to handle complex legal operations and sensitive interpersonal situations and respond appropriately to conflicts as they arise.
  • Demonstrated ability to maintain the highest level of confidentiality regarding sensitive matters such as personnel actions, grievances, contract negotiations, management strategy related to collective bargaining, and projects and lawsuits.
  • Ability to analyze unique problems using sound reasoning, highest level of judgment, and discretion in day-to-day Legal Department activities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Three (3) years of previous experience as in-house Counsel.
• Experience in higher education.
• Experience working in a technology-driven enterprise.

Location

• Remote, USA
• Travel: Travel seldom required

Supervisory Responsibilities

• May supervise and mentor junior Counsel and legal support staff.