Assistant General Counsel

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Job Summary:

The Assistant General Counsel provides leadership, management, and support for Colby’s legal, risk management, and legal compliance functions. The position will be classified commensurate with an applicant’s experience; and is an excellent opportunity for individuals interested in exposure and the development of knowledge and skills in various areas of law encountered in an institution of higher education. The successful candidate should possess a curiosity and keen interest in the world of higher education and the complex areas of law impacting the sector. Reporting to the General Counsel and working with administrative staff across the College, the Assistant General Counsel advises on, coordinates and manages a variety of legal activities of the College.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES AS ASSISTANT GENERAL COUNSEL:

• Advise on a wide array of College clients in the legal and regulatory matters facing Colby
• Represent the Office of General Counsel in all matters with integrity and commitment to the College’s mission, providing superior customer service to all areas of the College, and inspiring confidence with the College’s constituents
• Work closely with the General Counsel to develop creative and innovative strategies to resolve legal questions and matters, and provide high-quality legal service and support to the College’s academic and administrative areas
• Develop expertise in new areas of the law – all within a complex and dynamic higher education environment
• Develop and provide training to faculty and administrative staff on legal and compliance issues that impact the College
• Advise on and manage complex matters of regulatory and legal compliance, especially in areas pertaining to employment/labor law, as well as discrimination law, the Higher Education Authorization Act, Titles IV, VI, VII, and IX, the American with Disabilities Act/Section 504, and various civil rights-focused legal matters
• Collaborate with members of the Office of General Counsel and other areas of the College in advising and responding to litigation, administrative agency reviews and inquiries, and compliance with government directives and regulations
• Collaborate with College departments and College leadership in policy development and policy management based on current and emerging changes to the law
• Collaborate with the Assistant Vice President of Risk Management on compliance and enterprise risk management activities and undertakings.
• Assist the General Counsel in managing the use of outside counsel, ensuring that such use is efficient and cost- effective and that the work is of high quality and timely
• Staff Board of Trustees committees as necessary, including the Enterprise Risk-Audit Committee
• Serve on campus committees, as assigned
• Conduct and manage legal research and analysis
• Assist in the oversight and management of the Office of General Counsel clerkship program
• Attend professional development conferences, trainings, seminars and workshops as necessary to maintain and enhance job knowledge and skills
• Perform additional duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Advanced degree with one to four years of experience– preferably in higher education, business/commercial law or comparable environment
• Juris Doctor (J.D.); licensure to practice in Maine; excellent academic credentials and professional achievements in law school and/or in practice
• Demonstrated commitment to the values, mission and priorities of the College as exhibited in the candidate’s work and relationships with those across the College
• Demonstrated exceptionally sound personal judgment and initiative
• Highest commitment to professionalism, ethics, integrity and honesty
• Strong interpersonal skills with a customer-centric focus and an ability to work constructively as a valued partner in the office
• Effective time management, personnel management, organizational, multi-tasking and issue identification and assessment skills, combined with a highly productive work ethic, including the ability to prioritize and manage a heavy ever-changing, and varied workload
• Ability to adapt quickly to changing priorities in a dynamic environment
• Appropriate sense of urgency and ability to analyze and manage under pressure legal matters - both routine and complex – with a measured temperament
• Ability to work varying hours and schedules including weekends and evenings, as needed
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships across a broad range of diverse constituencies, including high level executives and administrators
• Willingness to learn and develop legal skills and knowledge both broadly and in the context of higher education, through mentoring and close working relationships with the general counsel
• Ability to work both independently, exercising initiative where appropriate, and also collaboratively as a team member in an institutional environment
• Demonstrated enthusiasm for learning new legal areas, combined with exceptional verbal, written communication, analytical, research, advocacy, and problem-solving skills
• Strong presentation skills including the ability to communicate complex legal concepts in a non-legal manner
• Desire to build out policies, procedures, practices, and tools for a developing Office of General Counsel
• Computer literate in Microsoft Word, the Google suite of tools, Excel and Adobe Acrobat; together with a curiosity and willingness to learn and develop expertise with other law office technologies.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS:

The Assistant General Counsel reports to the General Counsel. This position has significant interactions with administrators, faculty, staff, students and other outside constituencies, and is expected to undertake a variety of legal matters of the College in specific areas assigned by the General Counsel.

THE POSITION:

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

PHYSICAL EFFORT/ENVIRONMENT:

General office and campus environment. Position involves sitting, although frequent movement is necessary. Walking, standing, bending, twisting, and occasional lifting is required. Computer usage involving repetitive and/wrist motion is required.