Paralegal - AZ - Office of the General Counsel

About the role

The Vice President and General Counsel is seeking a full-time Paralegal to join the Office of the General Counsel. This role reports directly to the Vice President and General Counsel.

Responsibilities

• Independently review, negotiate and edit complex agreements with minimal attorney oversight, ensuring alignment with University’s legal requirements, regulatory obligations, institutional policies and risk tolerance.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for contract negotiations with external parties, exercising advanced negotiation skills to balance legal risk with operational needs.
• Administer the contract lifecycle management process, including intake, tracking, version control, execution, compliance documentation, and long-term archiving across NetDocuments, centralized affiliation agreement database, and hardcopy records.
• Proactively manage contract workflows, providing regular status updates and serving as a liaison between the Office of the General Counsel, internal stakeholders and external parties to ensure timely execution.
• Design, develop and deliver agreement processing training for Midwestern University faculty and staff related to affiliation agreements and special event contracting, ensuring compliance with internal policies and procedures.
• Assist with the management and expansion of University’s affiliation agreements, including coordinating multi-college/program coverage, extending placement opportunities, and proactively addressing expiring or terminating agreements to maintain continuity of student clinical placements.
• Advise University Colleges/Programs on appropriate contract structures, approvals and compliance requirements for on- and off-campus events, many of which involve strict timelines and heightened University exposure.
• Continuously strive to improve and streamline contract review, reduce turnaround time, and improve service delivery by the Office of the General Counsel. Serves as the Office of the General Counsel lead for AI-enabled legal playbooks, overseeing the design, implementation, validation, and governance of AI tools used for compliant drafting, review, and negotiation of agreements.
• Provide litigation support as assigned, which may include organizing case files, managing document production, coordinating discovery materials, tracking deadlines, and assisting with trial or hearing preparation.
• Support risk management functions as directed, including assistance with incident documentation, claims tracking, coordination with internal departments, and maintaining related records.
• Aid in the administration of Midwestern University’s insurance programs, as needed, including maintaining policy documentation, such as certificates of insurance, tracking renewals as they relate to affiliation agreements, coordinating information requests, and supporting communications with brokers or carriers.
• Support corporate governance matters as assigned, including assistance with maintaining governance records, organizing board and committee materials, tracking approvals and actions, and supporting compliance with recordkeeping requirements.
• Maintain organized legal files, databases, and records to ensure accurate documentation and timely access to information.
• Cooky, navigation, legal, EEO, equal opportunity, scam warning boilerplate, and application instructions removed.

Qualifications

• Ability to independently manage complex legal matters and competing priorities in a high-volume contracting environment.
• Advanced organizational, written, and oral communication skills.
• Strong knowledge of contract management principles and familiarity with healthcare, higher education, and technology-related agreements.
• Familiarity with applicable regulatory frameworks, including HIPAA and FERPA.
• Ability to work concurrently on a wide variety of projects and work effectively with others.
• Ability to work independently and have the willingness to assist others as needed.
• Reliable and dependable.

Education and/or Experience

• Bachelor’s degree, American Bar Association Paralegal Certification from an accredited institution and a minimum of two years relevant experience in corporate/contract administration and litigation.

Computer Skills

• Advanced knowledge of Word, Outlook, Excel, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Teams, NetDocuments, AI-enabled platforms, electronic signature processing platforms (Docusign), and computerized legal research systems.