Assistant General Counsel, Office of the Genera...

Tennessee State University Office of General Counsel invites applicants for the role of Assistant General Counsel. Tennessee State University, located in thriving Nashville, Tennessee, is a nationally recognized land grant institution, designated as a R2 (high research activity) research institution and a HBCU.

The Assistant General Counsel (AGC) will serve as an important member of the General Counsel's office and the TSU campus community, engaging in a wide-ranging, intellectually challenging, and rewarding higher education in-house legal practice under the direction of the General Counsel.

The AGC will provide preventative counsel, risk-related advice, and other legal services on a wide range of legal matters, including, but not limited to, litigation management, policy development, employment, intellectual property, immigration, student affairs, responding to Open Records Act requests and subpoenas, rulemaking, and contracts. The scope of practice may also include civil rights, administrative agency complaint matters, constitutional matters, real estate, institutional compliance, and handling other matters as determined by the General Counsel. The AGC will work primarily under the direction of the General Counsel.

Duties and responsibilities include, but will not be limited to:

• Provide high-quality, solutions-oriented counsel to a campus community.
• Conduct legal research and provide analysis and legal advice.
• Provide current information on new legislation, court rulings, and best practices in higher education.
• Conduct training on various legal matters affecting the University, including University policies and current laws and regulations impacting the University.
• Serve as a primary contact and coordinator on Open Records Act requests, subpoenas, and records retention requirements.
• Draft correspondence, demand letters, templates, memoranda, and other communications..
• Draft and review forms and other legal documents.
• Assist with policy development and review.
• Draft, analyze, and review legal contracts.
• Communicate with and assist outside counsel with litigation support.
• Provide legal counsel and operational advice on a wide variety of transactions, including real estate, construction, technology transfer, and data security.
• Develop content for legal department webpage.
• Work with student disciplinary officers and panels/committees.
• Provide responses to subpoenas and court orders.
• Identify areas of risk exposure and provide legal advice to mitigate legal risks.
• Assist the General Counsel in matters involving the TSU Board of Trustees.

Abilities/Skills:

• Enjoy working with a diverse population comprised of University staff, faculty, students, state officials, higher education legal counsel in the state and across the country, and individuals in the Nashville metropolitan area.
• Work in a fast-paced environment with multiple deadlines and interruptions. Employ time management skills, including the ability to prioritize effectively, while also remaining flexible and responsive to client demands.
• Apply critical thinking, analytical, problem solving and organizational skills consistently to support the University's mission.
• Able to work from the office, with opportunities to work remotely on occasion or as needed and the work permits, with supervisor permission.
• Demonstrated ability to provide top notch customer service to campus constituents.
• Demonstrated ability to build consensus and encourage collaboration. Can apply conflict resolution and negotiation skills effectively.
• Demonstrated ability to be humble, intellectually curious, and receptive to continuous education and learning, mentoring, and constructive feedback.
• Fully embrace evolving technology and its incorporation into university systems and practices.
• Strong commitment to meeting deadlines and producing high-quality work product.
• Able to travel out of state or within the state one or two times a year with advance notice.
• Initiative to begin and bring projects through to completion.
• Excellent research, writing, drafting, and client counseling skills.
• Demonstrate a high level of professionalism, ethics, and sound judgment, as well as maintain a high degree of confidentiality.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively with team members and across a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Must be licensed in good standing to practice law in Tennessee or eligible for admission to the Tennessee Bar within twelve months of employment.
• Must have a J.D. from an American Bar Association accredited law school.
• Must possess a strong record of ethical behavior and respect for applicable laws.
• Three to five years of experience as an attorney working at a higher education institution, federal, state or city governmental agency, or similar experience in the private sector working at a mid-sized (at least fifteen attorneys) or large corporate law firm or in-house for a large corporation.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience and/or demonstrated interest in litigation, contract negotiation, and business-related matters, or other areas of practice referenced in the job announcement is preferred.
• Please provide a writing sample and resume in addition to completing an online application.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

• Employment is contingent upon successfully completing a criminal background check as mandated by Tennessee State University.
• Official transcripts for positions which require a post-secondary undergraduate degree, advanced degree and/or certification must be presented upon hire.
• An unofficial transcript may be attached in the “Transcript” section.
• You will be required to provide names and contact information for three references during your application to the posting. If you are the recommended candidate for the position, our online hiring system will automatically generate solicitation for these letters using contact information you provided.