Associate General Counsel

Responsibilities

• Provide timely, practical legal advice to university leadership, Human Resources, and managers on employee relations and workplace issues.
• Advise on compliance with federal and state laws, including wage and hour, FMLA, ADA, Title VII, and other civil rights laws.
• Partner with HR and leadership to proactively identify and mitigate legal risks.
• Represent the University in employment-related litigation and administrative proceedings (e.g., MERC, EEOC, OCR, MDCR, and similar agencies).
• Represent the University in assigned litigation and administrative matters, including serving as lead counsel or supervising outside counsel.
• Oversee outside counsel, including strategy, budgets, and performance.
• Manage matters involving related constitutional and civil rights issues (e.g., First Amendment, Due Process, and Equal Protection claims).
• Represent the University in labor arbitration and administrative proceedings.
• Advises on collective bargaining strategy and contract interpretation.
• Advises on compliance with the Michigan Public Employment Relations Act.
• Provides day-to-day guidance on union-related issues.
• Draft, review, and negotiate executive employment agreements and coaching contracts.
• Draft, review, and update employment-related policies and procedures to ensure legal compliance and alignment with institutional goals.

Qualifications

• A minimum of seven (7) years' experience as a labor and employment lawyer at a law firm or in-house legal department.
• Experience in all aspects of complex employment litigation filed in state and federal courts and with administrative agencies (e.g., MERC, EEOC, OCR, MDCR, etc.).
• Experience representing clients in labor arbitration.
• Experience with labor relations, including collective bargaining negotiations, contract interpretation, and union grievances.
• Experience drafting employment contracts.
• Law degree from an accredited law school.
• Admission to the State Bar of Michigan or eligibility for immediate admission.

Skills

• Strong organizational skills with meticulous attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple, complex, time-sensitive assignments simultaneously with a high degree of organization and effectiveness.
• High degree of professionalism, discretion, and integrity.
• Good judgment and creative, practical problem-solving skills with the ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Strong interpersonal skills, collegiality, and a willingness to go the extra mile to support colleagues.

Benefits

• The incumbent will be eligible for the University's generous benefits package, including health, dental, vision, and 2:1 retirement contribution matching, among others.
• OGC members work in a hybrid manner, with at least three in-office days per week.
• In-office work typically takes place in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
• Ann Arbor's entertainment and dining options are on par with a much larger city's, as is its public transit and bike-friendly infrastructure;
• The public and private schools are award-winning;
• There is a robust tech sector, fueled in part by the University's research apparatus;
• It is also located under 30 minutes by car to a large international airport, 45 minutes to historic Detroit, and four hours to Chicago, Toronto, or to the Mackinac Bridge, the gateway to the Upper Peninsula's picturesque lakes and forests.