Principal Campus Counsel (0201U) Chancellor's Office #88151

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom, and belonging makes it a special place for students, faculty, and staff, who are among the most talented and accomplished anywhere. Since our founding in 1868, we have been an engine for innovation—driving intellectual, economic, and social progress that benefits California, the U.S., and beyond. We actively support professional development by providing all full-time staff employees with at least 80 hours of paid time per year and offer numerous employee resource groups.

About the Office of Legal Affairs

The UC Berkeley Office of Legal Affairs (OLA) offers timely legal advice to campus leadership, faculty, and staff, anticipates and resolves legal problems, and advocates on behalf of the campus. OLA serves as the liaison between the campus and the UC Office of General Counsel in Oakland, striving to be a valued and trusted partner recognized for creativity, expertise, and commitment to UC Berkeley's mission and values.

About the Role

The Principal Campus Counsel serves as a senior attorney within the Office of Legal Affairs and is the primary legal advisor to Intercollegiate Athletics. As a trusted legal partner to the Athletic Director and Athletics executive leadership, this role provides broad legal counsel across a wide range of issues affecting a modern Division I athletics program while remaining an integral member of OLA’s general practice team. The incumbent advises on complex legal matters involving labor and employment, commercial transactions, governance, regulatory compliance, contracts, student-athlete matters, Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), NCAA and conference requirements, revenue-generating initiatives, licensing, media rights, and other operational and strategic issues.

The Principal Campus Counsel collaborates with Ethics, Risk & Compliance and other campus partners to identify legal risks, develop practical solutions, and promote compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and University policy. While primarily supporting Intercollegiate Athletics, this role maintains a broad institutional legal practice and provides support across other University practice areas as needed.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Legal Counsel (25%)
  • Serves as the primary legal advisor to the Athletic Director and Athletics executive leadership.
  • Provides strategic legal advice regarding athletics operations, institutional priorities, governance, and organizational initiatives.
  • Advises senior leadership on legal implications of significant business decisions and emerging risks.
  • Develops practical legal strategies balancing institutional objectives with legal and regulatory requirements.
  • Identifies emerging legal trends affecting collegiate athletics and advises leadership on institutional impacts.
• Labor & Employment Law (35%)
  • Provides legal advice on employment matters, with emphasis on California labor and employment law.
  • Drafts, negotiates, and reviews executive employment agreements, coaching contracts, separation agreements, incentive compensation plans, and other employment-related documents.
  • Advises management on employee relations, workplace investigations, disciplinary actions, performance management, and other employment matters.
  • Provides legal counsel on NCAA employment issues, employee classification, and evolving legal standards.
  • Represents the University in administrative proceedings, negotiations, and employment-related litigation, or manages outside counsel as appropriate.
• Business Transactions & Commercial Agreements (25%)
  • Negotiates, drafts, and advises on complex commercial agreements supporting Athletics operations.
  • Provides legal counsel on:
    • Name, Image and Likeness (NIL)
    • Revenue-sharing initiatives
    • Student-athlete compensation models
    • Licensing and branding agreements
    • Intellectual property matters
    • Media rights agreements
    • Third-party sponsorship agreements
    • Conference affiliation matters
    • Facilities use agreements
    • Athlete intellectual property
    • Revenue generation initiatives
  • Advises leadership on commercial opportunities while ensuring legal protections and institutional compliance.
• Compliance, Risk Management & Governance (10%)
  • Partners with Ethics, Risk & Compliance to develop institution-wide compliance strategies, principally for Athletics.
  • Advises on NCAA rules, conference requirements, House settlement implementation, and other evolving regulatory requirements.
  • Develops legal risk mitigation strategies to strengthen institutional governance and reduce organizational risk.
  • Assists in developing and revising campus policies, procedures, and compliance programs.
  • Conducts legal risk assessments for significant athletics initiatives and strategic projects.
• Litigation, Investigations & Professional Leadership (5%)
  • Represents the University in litigation, administrative proceedings, investigations, and other legal matters.
  • Manages relationships with outside counsel and evaluates appropriate use of external legal services.
  • Negotiates resolutions to complex legal disputes.
  • Develops and delivers legal education and training programs for Athletics leadership and other campus stakeholders.
  • Serves as a subject matter expert on emerging legal issues affecting collegiate athletics.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
• Active membership in good standing with the California State Bar, or eligibility to obtain admission within the timeframe established by University policy.
• Extensive and progressively responsible legal experience.
• Demonstrated expertise in California labor and employment law.
• Significant experience drafting and negotiating complex employment and commercial agreements.
• Experience representing organizations in litigation, investigations, and administrative proceedings.
• Demonstrated ability to advise executive leadership on highly complex legal and business matters.
• Expert knowledge of California labor and employment law and legal issues affecting Division I intercollegiate athletics.
• Comprehensive understanding of NCAA regulations, conference governance, and the evolving legal landscape affecting collegiate athletics.
• Knowledge of federal and California laws governing higher education, employment, commercial transactions, and regulatory compliance.
• Knowledge of and/or ability to learn University policies, governance, risk management principles, and litigation management, including effective use of outside counsel.
• Advanced legal analysis, strategic problem-solving, negotiation, and contract drafting skills.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong client counseling, relationship management, and collaboration skills across multiple organizational units.
• Ability to exercise sound legal judgment in situations involving ambiguity or evolving legal standards, and maintain confidentiality in highly sensitive matters.
• Ability to build trusted relationships with executive leadership and diverse campus stakeholders.
• Commitment to integrity, inclusion, collaboration, and the highest ethical standards.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple high-priority matters simultaneously.
• Ability to independently manage highly complex legal matters, analyze emerging legal issues, and develop practical, risk-based solutions with minimal supervision.
• Strategic planning and project management skills.
• Ability to develop and deliver legal training and educational presentations.

Pay

The budgeted annual range for this position is $230,000.00 - $282,124.00. This is an exempt, monthly-paid position.

Schedule

This is a full-time (40 hours/week) Career position eligible for UC benefits.

Benefits

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.

The First Review Date for this job is September 1, 2026.