Assistant General Counsel

About the Role

The Assistant General Counsel provides comprehensive legal and compliance counsel for a nonprofit organization by managing contracts, government grants, regulatory compliance, litigation, risk assessment, policy development, data governance, and employment, healthcare, privacy, and governance matters. This role partners with stakeholders to mitigate risk, improve processes, and ensure adherence to applicable laws and regulations.

Responsibilities

• Provide sound legal guidance on a range of matters affecting the organization, including contracts and leases, healthcare legal issues, employment and benefit matters, litigation, information privacy, security, client- and participant-related matters.
• Review and/or draft contracts covering a broad range of matters, considering business issues and the requirements of government and other funders. This includes tracking and processing government contracts and grants, managing internal review processes, maintaining electronic files, and coordinating inputs across the organization.
• Assist with risk assessments related to contracts, programmatic decisions, and policies; proactively mitigate risk in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
• Advise on legal matters associated with new and revised laws and regulations.
• Represent the organization in litigation and administrative forums, including responding to complaints, participating in investigations, mediations, and hearings, and working with outside counsel as appropriate.
• Collaborate with the Chief Compliance Officer to develop, implement, and manage the organization's compliance program, ensuring adherence to all relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards.
• Review organization policies for legal issues and advise on appropriate revisions and new policies to ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, particularly in government contracting, healthcare, and employment law.
• Counsel team members throughout the organization on current or potential legal exposure and issues.
• Assist in creating process improvements, such as preparing form contracts and developing organizational contract approval processes.
• Assist with data governance to maintain uniformity in naming and storing data.
• Create and run reports from databases as needed.
• Assist in managing outside counsel.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Requirements

• Knowledge of contract law required; knowledge of government contracting, healthcare law, information privacy issues, nonprofit corporate law, tax issues relating to exempt organizations, and employment law preferred.
• Comfortable working with a range of team members, managing a busy practice with multiple competing priorities, and learning about new areas of practice.
• Ability to independently negotiate business contracts, settlement agreements, and other legal matters.
• Use critical thinking skills to examine contractual language and provide risk management advice.
• Physical requirements:
  • Kneel and move from sitting, bending, kneeling, or standing multiple times a day.
  • Climb up and down up to 3 flights of stairs at a time.
  • Lift, push, and pull up to 10 lbs.
• Comply with program and/or requirements related to background checks.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, Outlook, Windows operating systems, Adobe, and other software routinely used by the organization.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate with a team.
• High degree of professional ethics and integrity.

Qualifications

• Must be a graduate of an accredited law school and licensed to practice law in the state of Illinois.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience with relevant legal issues in a law firm or as in-house counsel.
• Must remain a member of the Illinois State Bar in good standing for the duration of employment.
• Preferred: Seven years of experience with relevant legal issues in a law firm or as in-house counsel.