Assistant/Associate General Counsel

UCM's Office of General Counsel represents the University in all matters, providing legal advice and guidance to UCM officials across diverse legal practice areas. The Assistant/Associate General Counsel will primarily practice in the subject matter areas of student affairs, labor and employment, policy, and compliance including open records, FERPA, Title IX, Clery, contracts and other transactional matters, litigation management and others.

Provides legal advice and guidance to UCM officials across diverse legal practice areas to include: - 40%

• Study and interpret laws, court decisions, ordinances, and other legal authorities, as needed, to deliver daily counsel and advice to the President, Board of Governors and various business units of the University.
• Develops creative and innovative strategies to resolve legal challenges facing the University.
• Assists in providing advice concerning new or revised University policies and procedures.

• Develops and delivers presentations and informational materials to educate staff and faculty on relevant and developing legal issues and policies.
• Coordinates university-wide compliance partner network and advises on documentation of compliance with federal, state, and local requirements.

• May represent the University in state and federal court or in other procedural and administrative matters as assigned by General Counsel. Works with outside counsel on pending litigation, including assisting in responding to pleadings and correspondence; collecting, reviewing, analyzing, and organizing documents and responding to discovery; preparing witnesses to testify; attending mediations and hearings.
• Attends internal and external hearings and administrative proceedings to represent the University’s interests as required.

• Drafts, reviews, and negotiates or advises the negotiation of simple and complex contracts, memoranda of understanding, settlement agreements, leases and other transactional documents on behalf of the University in conjunction with other OGC staff and outside counsel.

• Upon the request of the General Counsel, acts in place of the General Counsel when the General Counsel is unavailable.
• Executes the responsibilities of the General Counsel’s Office according to lawful and ethical standards, while using personal judgment and initiative to develop effective and constructive solutions to legal challenges and obstacles.
• Attends meetings of the Board and other internal and external groups as requested to provide legal opinions, discussion or comment when appropriate.
• Attends professional conferences, training, seminars and workshops as necessary to maintain job knowledge and skills.

Education:
Juris Doctorate from an ABA - accredited law school required.
Experience:

• Three (3) years of experience as a practicing attorney required for Assistant title; seven (7) years of experience for the Associate title. Up to two (2) years of experience with litigation management and/or electronic document management in a legal setting may be used to meet part of this 3/7 year requirement.
• Experience representing a public/governmental or higher education entity preferred.
• Experience with Missouri’s Sunshine Law preferred.
• Experience drafting, reviewing, and editing higher education or business governance documents, such as by-laws or policies, preferred.
• Experience in drafting, reviewing, and editing contracts (e.g., employment agreements; affiliation agreements, collective bargaining agreements; etc.) preferred.
• Experience organizing, coordinating, and responding to court filings (e.g., subpoenas; bankruptcy court fi lings; litigation; etc.) preferred.

Other Special Skills, Abilities, and Knowledge:

• Ability to exercise exceptional independent professional judgment.
• Demonstrated ability to thoughtfully solve problems and be a critical thinker.

• Travel required
• Irregular work hours
• Professional appearance
• Professional demeanor
• Work in stressful conditions.

Special Instructions:

Full-time benefits-eligible position: Benefits include competitive salary; health, dental, vision, life insurance, AD & D, long-term disability; 3 weeks paid vacation per year; 3 weeks of accrued sick leave per year; 13 paid holidays; retirement; and generous education assistance for an employee, spouse and dependent children taking classes at UCM.

Part-time benefits-eligible positions: Benefits include generous education assistance for the employee.

Temporary, adjunct, student employment, or graduate assistant positions: Benefits are not included.

Completed UCM online application for employment required. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

A review will begin immediately and continue until filled unless indicated otherwise.

NOTE: A background check is required for the selected candidate of all staff, faculty, adjunct, and temporary positions and any job offer is contingent on the results of this check. Student employees and graduate assistants do not require a background check to be conducted prior to employment.

The University of Central Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer and specifically invites applications from women, minorities, veteran status, and people with disabilities.