Associate General Counsel

Position Summary

The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) currently consists of 16 attorneys working collaboratively to provide a full range of legal services to Columbia University.  OGC is seeking an attorney with corporate and/or transactional experience to work on a range matters of including:  business matters, contract review, litigation, labor and employment, copyright, property acquisitions, student and faculty issues, and tax, among others. Although the role will be generalist in nature, it will focus on contracts/transactional matters at the outset and may be adjusted based on the experience/skills of the successful candidate and needs of the organization. The Assistant/Associate title and salary will be commensurate with level of relevant experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide advice and counsel to internal clients, including University leadership, on a wide variety of issues of critical importance to the University;

• Draft, negotiate, and/or review a variety of contracts related to topics such as online educational platforms and executive education, educational collaboration and affiliation agreements, and MOUs; Monitor legal issues and trends affecting higher education; analyze relevant research, trends, and proposed regulations to make recommendations on matters affecting institutions of higher learning; Develop, draft and interpret University policies; counsel on issues of policy formation and application; Respond to complaints, demands, subpoenas and regulatory inquiries directed to the University; Conduct and/or oversee and support internal investigations; Manage outside counsel on certain litigation, investigations and audits; Work independently on routine legal matters while recognizing issues of institutional importance, taking proactive steps to resolve issues while keeping the General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel and internal clients appropriately informed; Effectively communicate to clients by clearly explaining practical solutions for addressing problems, appropriately balancing legal considerations with institutional programmatic and policy objectives; and Support all University related legal efforts as needed.

Minimum Qualifications & Skills

Education: A Juris Doctor degree from a nationally recognized law school with excellent academic credentials in law school and in undergraduate studies.

Required:

• Five plus years of practice experience at law firm, government agency and/or in-house experience in advising and counseling clients (Assistant/Associate title will be commensurate with level of relevant experience); Higher Education, government agency and/or other in-house experience a plus; Ability to analyze complex situations and react appropriately; Ability to exercise sound judgment after researching and interpreting relevant facts; Ability to prioritize and meet deadlines; Ability to supervise outside counsel in a cost-effective manner; Ability to work with minimal supervision and to handle multiple high priority tasks simultaneously Excellent drafting skills; Confidence and judgment necessary to act pragmatically; High level of intellectual curiosity; Ability and desire to function collaboratively; Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate easily with colleagues and internal clients; and Must be admitted to the New York State Bar or admitted within one year of hire.