University Counsel III

Primary Responsibilities

• Serve as the Office of the General Counsel's lead attorney on Athletics-related legal matters, providing strategic legal counsel on commercial transactions, sponsorships, licensing, media and marketing agreements, employment contracts, games and events contracts, NIL-related institutional issues, conference matters, athletics operations, vendor relationships, facility use agreements, strategic partnerships, and other legal and business matters affecting the Athletics Department.
• Draft, negotiate, interpret, and advise on a broad range of sophisticated commercial and institutional agreements, including services agreements, procurement contracts, sponsorship agreements, licensing agreements, technology agreements, confidentiality agreements, research agreements, memoranda of understanding, affiliation agreements, and other contracts supporting the university's academic, business, and operational objectives.
• Provide transactional legal support to the Office of Research and Innovation, including the Department of Contracts and Grants (DCG), the USC Stevens Center for Innovation, the Alfred E. Mann Institute (AMI), the Department of Animal Resources, and matters involving visiting researchers, and other research-related activities.
• Advise on sponsored research agreements, industry collaborations, technology commercialization, research compliance, export controls, conflicts of interest, Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), and related legal matters.
• Provide legal counsel to leadership of the university's health schools, including the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, Keck School of Medicine, Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy, and the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, on transactional, operational, and institutional matters.
• Advises university departments and administrative units, including the Alumni Association, USC Museums, USC Shoah Foundation, Communications, USC Radio, Internal Audit, Information Technology Services (ITS), the Office of the Chief Information Security Officer (OCISO), the Marching Band, Global Initiatives (including immigration-related matters), the Office of Professionalism and Ethics (OPE), Bovard College and Online Education, and University Relations.
• Support major university initiatives and strategic partnerships by collaborating with university leadership and administrative partners to identify legal and business risks, develop practical solutions, and facilitate successful implementation.
• Draft and revise university policies, standard agreement templates, and guidance documents related to contracting, procurement, Athletics, and institutional operations.
• Cook up with outside counsel on specialized transactional and regulatory matters, as appropriate, and manage outside counsel relationships and budgets.
• Develop and deliver legal training, educational resources, and consultation sessions on contracting, negotiation, Athletics-related legal developments, procurement, research transactions, compliance, and other transactional topics.
• Build collaborative relationships with university leaders, administrators, faculty, and staff across the institution and serve as a trusted legal advisor who encourages the proactive engagement of the Office of the General Counsel.
• Perform special projects and other legal assignments as requested.

Preferred Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) and membership in the California Bar (or eligibility to register as California Registered In-House Counsel).
• Significant experience serving as in-house counsel within the legal office of a college, university, academic medical center, or similarly complex institution is strongly preferred.
• The ideal candidate will have demonstrated success advising senior administrators and diverse institutional clients while navigating the governance, culture, and operational environment unique to higher education.
• Demonstrated experience advising on athletics-related legal matters, including commercial partnerships, sponsorships, licensing, branding, media rights, vendor agreements, athletics operations, or other sports-related transactions. Experience representing Division I NCAA institutions, collegiate athletics programs, conferences, or professional sports organizations is highly desirable.
• Experience supporting sponsored research, research contracting, technology commercialization, innovation initiatives, or research compliance is strongly preferred but not required.
• Familiarity with the legal and regulatory framework governing institutions of higher education, including laws affecting commercial contracting, procurement, intellectual property, privacy, athletics, research, and university operations.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage a sophisticated, high-volume transactional practice while balancing competing priorities and exercising sound legal and business judgment.
• Excellent negotiation, drafting, written and oral communication, relationship management, and project management skills, with the ability to provide practical, solution-oriented legal advice to senior leadership and clients across a decentralized organization.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, sound judgment, discretion, and the ability to build trusted relationships while effectively representing the interests of the Office of the General Counsel and the university.