Associate General Counsel

About the role

The Associate General Counsel works in close collaboration with the Vice President General Counsel and other university attorneys to provide strategic, timely, and practical legal advice to Marquette University on a broad range of higher education legal matters.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic, legal advice (written and verbal) to university leaders, faculty, and staff regarding a wide range of university and higher-education matters, spanning multiple legal disciplines.
• Monitor, research, and communicate emerging legal developments and trends arising from federal, state, and local laws, agency guidance, NCAA rules and regulations, and case law affecting higher education institutions, including Division I athletics programs. Prepare related risk assessments, memoranda, briefings, guidance tools, presentations, training, and other legal work product that are mission-aligned to drive compliance and mitigate risks.
• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial contracts, memorandum of understanding, licenses, leases, sponsored agreements, vendor agreements, affiliation and collaborations agreements, and athletics agreements, as well as policies and procedures, regulatory filings, and other university documents with legal implications.
• Handle, represent and/or oversee investigation, dispute, and litigation matters involving the university, including administrative proceedings, due process hearings, employment disputes, and student-related matters, in coordination with other university stakeholders and outside counsel, as applicable.
• Collaborate with public affairs, risk management, Title IX office, Marquette University Police Department, human resources, finance, and other university constituents to identify emerging areas of risk and develop legally sound, operationally effective, and mission-aligned solutions.
• Optimize the delivery of legal services to the university by managing outside counsel for quality and cost efficiency, improving internal OGC processes and workflows, and advancing operational and technology initiatives that strengthen service, responsiveness, and overall effectiveness in support of university strategies.

Qualifications

• Must have a Juris Doctor from an ABA-accredited law school and be a current member in good standing of the Wisconsin Bar or another state’s bar and ability to become licensed in the State of Wisconsin within 6 months of hire.
• A minimum of seven years of practicing law.
• Proven track record of providing high quality counsel on a broad array of legal matters including highly complex and novel issues.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and ability to clearly articulate complicated information; active listening to uncover nuances.
• Demonstrated skills developing strong partnerships across an organization; ability to work in a highly collaborative environment with diverse stakeholders.
• Advanced legal research and analysis skills to inform advice; creative problem solving and ability to effectively manage ambiguity.
• Ability to manage and prioritize work effectively and independently.
• Intellectual curiosity and a continuous improvement mindset to seek out and apply best practices for self and the overall unit.
• Motivated to assume a significant level of responsibility and to confidently represent the university’s interests to internal and external parties.
• Ability to represent and promote the University’s mission and guiding values.
• Demonstrated professionalism to work effectively with officials and executives in government, business, and educational organizations.