Corporate - General Attorney / Education - Higher Education Attorney in Waterville, ME

Academic

Waterville, ME

Corporate - General Attorney / Education - Higher Education Attorney in Waterville, ME

Attorney

1-4 yrs required

No

Job Title: Assistant General Counsel

Job Responsibilities:
The Assistant General Counsel at a reputed firm provides leadership, management, and support for the institution’s legal, risk management, and legal compliance functions. This role entails advising on a wide array of legal and regulatory matters facing the institution and representing the Office of General Counsel with integrity and a commitment to the institution’s mission. The Assistant General Counsel works closely with the General Counsel to develop strategies for resolving legal questions and matters, providing high-quality legal service to academic and administrative areas.

Key responsibilities include:
- Advising on and managing complex regulatory and legal compliance issues, especially in employment/labor law, discrimination law, the Higher Education Authorization Act, Titles IV, VI, VII, and IX, the Americans with Disabilities Act/Section 504, and various civil rights-focused legal matters.
- Developing and providing training to faculty and administrative staff on legal and compliance issues.
- Collaborating with the Office of General Counsel and other areas of the institution in litigation, administrative agency reviews, and compliance with government directives and regulations.
- Assisting in policy development and management based on legal changes.
- Collaborating with the Assistant Vice President of Risk Management on compliance and enterprise risk management activities.
- Managing the use of outside counsel to ensure efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and high-quality work.
- Staffing Board of Trustees committees as necessary, including the Enterprise Risk-Audit Committee.
- Conducting and managing legal research and analysis.
- Assisting in the oversight of the Office of General Counsel clerkship program.
- Attending professional development events to maintain and enhance job knowledge and skills.
- Performing additional duties as assigned.

Education and Experience Information:
The position requires an advanced degree with one to four years of experience, preferably in higher education, business/commercial law, or a comparable environment. A Juris Doctor (.) degree and licensure to practice in Maine are required. The candidate should have excellent academic credentials and professional achievements in law school and/or in practice.

Qualifications include:
- A demonstrated commitment to the institution's values, mission, and priorities.
- Exceptionally sound personal judgment and initiative.
- A high commitment to professionalism, ethics, integrity, and honesty.
- Strong interpersonal skills with a customer-centric focus and the ability to work constructively as a valued partner.
- Effective time management, organizational, multitasking, and issue identification and assessment skills.
- The ability to adapt quickly to changing priorities and work under pressure.
- A demonstrated ability to build relationships across diverse constituencies.
- Willingness to learn and develop legal skills and knowledge in the context of higher education.
- The ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
- Enthusiasm for learning new legal areas and strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Strong presentation skills and the ability to communicate complex legal concepts in a non-legal manner.
- A desire to build out policies, procedures, practices, and tools for a developing Office of General Counsel.
- Computer literacy in Microsoft Word, Google suite of tools, Excel, and Adobe Acrobat, with a willingness to learn other law office technologies.

Salary Information:
The pay rate type is classified as salary. Specific salary information is not provided, but the position is classified commensurate with the applicant’s experience.

Key Relationships:
The Assistant General Counsel reports to the General Counsel and interacts significantly with administrators, faculty, staff, students, and other outside constituencies. The role involves undertaking a variety of legal matters in specific areas assigned by the General Counsel.

The Position:
This is a full-time position located in Waterville, Maine. The successful candidate is expected to work primarily on campus, with some opportunity for limited remote work.

Physical Effort/Environment:
The position involves working in a general office and campus environment, requiring sitting and frequent movement. Walking, standing, bending, twisting, and occasional lifting are required. Computer usage involving repetitive hand/wrist motion is also necessary.