Job Description

Reporting to the University President, the position of General Counsel is responsible for all legal compliance functions for the University. The position provides counsel and representation to the President, Board of Trustees, university administrators, faculty, and staff with respect to all legal matters affecting the University. This position participates in institutional planning and decision-making and implementation of institutional legal and compliance strategies.

BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1948, Brandeis University is named for the late Louis Dembitz Brandeis, the distinguished associate justice of the United States Supreme Court, and reflects the ideals of academic excellence and social justice he personified. Brandeis is one of the world’s youngest pre-eminent private research universities, as well as the only secular Jewish-sponsored institution of higher learning in the United States. In 1985, Brandeis was elected to membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU), which represents the 66 leading research universities in the United States and Canada. U.S. News & World Report has ranked Brandeis among the top 42 universities nationwide every year since the rankings’ inception.

A private research university (R1) and member of the Association of American Universities (AAU) with a liberal arts focus located in Waltham, Massachusetts, Brandeis was founded in 1948 by the American Jewish community at a time when Jews and other ethnic and racial minorities and women faced discrimination in higher education. Established as a nonsectarian research university, from the beginning Brandeis welcomed talented faculty and students of all backgrounds and beliefs. Brandeis is the academic home to 542 faculty members and 1,146 staff members and serves 3,639 undergraduate students and 2,161 graduate students. Nationally and internationally renowned for teaching, learning, and research, Brandeis’ investment in and commitment to the highest quality undergraduate and graduate education is demonstrated in the distinction of its four schools as well as its robust continuing education programs.

Brandeis is an innovative interdisciplinary community of scholars and students united by their commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and their work on behalf of social justice. As a research university, Brandeis promotes strong interdisciplinary research, particularly in the sciences, and collaborative teaching opportunities across disciplines. For a university of its size, Brandeis exemplifies both excellence in the liberal arts and enjoys noteworthy depth and breadth of research success; in 2021, for example, Brandeis researchers obtained $31.2M in extramural research funding from the National Institutes of Health alone.

GENERAL COUNSEL

The General Counsel will serve as the principal legal advisor for the University, with overall responsibility for the vision and leadership of the University’s legal strategy. Reporting to the President, as a valued member of the senior leadership team and a key strategic advisor, the General Counsel will provide legal advice and counsel to the President, Board of Trustees, senior leadership, and other members of the University community on all legal and other significant matters affecting the University and its stakeholders.

This is an excellent opportunity to work for a mission-driven institution where the General Counsel serves as a key thought leader within the community and as a trusted advisor on the leadership team. The University seeks an inspirational attorney with sound judgment and excellent problem-solving ability. The General Counsel is expected to be an ambassador of Brandeis’s values, lead with integrity, and demonstrate a high standard of professional ethics. The successful candidate will have passion for the academic and research missions of the University and will appreciate the University’s unique relationship to its students and to the community at large.

The General Counsel will be a broad generalist with deep expertise in a variety of relevant legal areas and have a demonstrated commitment to the mission of higher education. The successful candidate will be a values-based leader with a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and will lead from a place of inclusivity, respect, and collaboration, embodying the highest ethics and integrity. The General Counsel will exude calm under pressure while managing the complex issues confronting a university of Brandeis’s scale, size, and prominence.

The General Counsel will also value and excel at interacting with various constituencies and instill a sense of confidence throughout the University community. Finally, the General Counsel will be highly intellectually curious, driven, and engaged, and understand the complexities the University will face in the coming years as the landscape of higher education changes and evolves.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

The General Counsel will have the following responsibilities and opportunities:

• Serve as a strategic thought partner and advisor to the President, Board of Trustees, University officers, deans, and administrators on critical legal issues that impact the University and its various constituencies, representing the university’s best interests at all times.
• Interpret the constitutional, statutory and regulatory framework in which the University operates, managing all outside counsel and litigation and agency complaints, and providing legal and policy advice in a variety of areas within the University, including but not limited to, labor and employment law, enterprise risk management, athletics, student affairs, intellectual property, contracts, organizational governance, sponsored research, statutory and regulatory compliance, drug-free workplace requirements, computer and information technology issues, planned giving, and other areas related to an academic legal environment.
• Oversee the legal review of all university contracts.
• Work closely with the Board of Trustees to advise and counsel on governance matters and other critical legal issues requiring the Trustees’ attention.
• Oversee, manage, and advise on a range of litigation matters and on critical contractual obligations, including legal issues raised within contractual relationships.
• Anticipate issues and risks, sharing pertinent information with the President, senior leadership team, Board of Trustees, and other relevant parties while developing creative solutions to address various legal risks the University may face.
• Lead, manage, and oversee the Office of General Counsel with an eye towards maintaining and enhancing the manner in which legal services are provided to ensure high caliber work and alignment with the President’s vision for the University.
• Keep abreast of compliance/regulatory related changes and educate University constituents on such changes.
• Maintain knowledge and understanding of trends and critical changes in the higher education legal landscape and proactively address the impact of these changes on the University, particularly as they relate to technology, privacy, and cybersecurity.
• Analyze current inventory of legal needs across the University, and manage external legal resources currently in use and constituents currently engaging with legal counsel.
• Advise on various issues impacting Athletics, including NCAA compliance, Title IX, and other related issues.
• Advise on various public safety matters, including the Clery Act, no trespass orders, Title IX, threat assessment, and other safety-related issues impacting the Brandeis community.
• Advise and provide counsel on issues related to academic freedom, freedom of speech and expression.
• Provide clear, creative, and supportive long-term leadership for the Office of General Counsel, assuring that its personnel, structure, culture, and operations best serve the missions and priorities of all major components of Brandeis.
  

SKILLS AND REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Juris Doctor Degree from an ABA-accredited law school required. Licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is required. Must be a member in good standing with the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers.
• Minimum 10 years relevant legal experience.
• 3-5 years of management experience.
• Experience as a trusted adviser to a CEO/President and governing board.
• Expertise in, and exposure to, legal issues similar to those at Brandeis with familiarity with higher education, academic, research, athletics and student life issues.
• Ability to handle legal issues arising out of sponsored and collaborative research as well as working knowledge in drafting and negotiating contracts for a variety of general business transactions preferred.
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills.
• Litigation experience required.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Diversity, equity and inclusion are important values at Brandeis today and always have been for they are rooted in our founding as an institution. These values serve as a reminder for self-reflection, and a continuous call to grow for us as Brandeisans. Founded as a model institution for ethnic and religious pluralism, Brandeis University welcomes students, faculty, and staff of all nationalities, religions, and orientations. Moreover, social justice is central to the mission of Brandeis, which endeavors to foster a just and inclusive campus culture that embraces the evolving diversity of our larger society. Read more online about our Mission and Diversity Statements at Brandeis Mission and Diversity Statements.

If you are interested in a role and have relevant experience but your work history does not align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we nevertheless encourage you to apply.

Closing Statement

Brandeis University is committed to providing its students, faculty and staff with an environment conducive to learning and working and where all people are treated with respect and dignity. We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, ethnicity, caste, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, including transgender identity, religion, disability, age, genetics, active military or veteran status and any other characteristics protected under applicable federal or Massachusetts law.

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