Senior Paralegal

Responsibilities

• Review, draft, and negotiate various real estate agreements, including:
• Commercial and institutional leases (both landlord and tenant sides)
• Property license and access/use agreements
• Property easements
• Land use and cost sharing agreements with municipalities for joint infrastructure projects
• Lease amendments, subleases, tenant estoppels, and SNDAs (Subordination, Non-Disturbance, and Attornment Agreements)
• Support real estate acquisitions, donations, and dispositions by:
• Reviewing due diligence materials, including title commitments, title exceptions, and surveys
• Reviewing purchase agreements
• Cooking with title companies, surveyors, and other external parties
• Assisting in preparation of closing checklists, closing binders, and transactional documents
• Develop and update real estate legal document templates
• Track and organize real estate documents, agreements, and deadlines
• Interface with internal stakeholders, including facilities management, capital planning, and university leadership
• Collaborate with the University Real Estate Office and Michigan Medicine Facilities team to facilitate alignment between legal and operational priorities
• Aid with periodic audits and compliance matters related to real estate holdings and agreements
• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned by supervising attorneys, including general transactional work

Requirements

• Associate's degree or Paralegal Certificate from an ABA-accredited program
• Minimum of 3 years of experience as a paralegal, preferably in a law firm or in-house legal department, with real estate experience
• Demonstrated experience reviewing and drafting commercial leases and related real estate documents
• Familiarity with title and survey review processes
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and document management software

Desired Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field
• Minimum of 5 years of experience as a real estate paralegal
• Experience in a university, hospital, or public sector setting
• Knowledge of higher education and healthcare real estate issues
• Familiarity with real estate transaction management systems and tools (e.g., Dealpath, VTS, or similar)

Why Work at Michigan?

• Salary is commensurate with experience and is competitive with other similarly situated institutions of higher education.
• 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, widely considered to be one of the best places to live in America.
• 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.
• Modes of Work
• The work requirements allow both onsite and offsite work and an employee has an expected recurring onsite presence.
• On occasion, the employee may be required and must be available to work onsite more frequently if necessitated by unit leadership or their designee and/or the job requirements.