General Counsel

Job Summary

The general counsel is responsible for leading corporate, strategic and tactical legal initiatives. This position provides senior management with effective advice on company strategies and their implementation, manages the legal function, and obtains and oversees the work of outside counsel. The general counsel is directly involved in complex business transactions in negotiating critical contracts.

Essential Job Functions and Performance Indicators

Job Responsibilities

Maintains responsibility for review of contracts, student issues, employee issues, injury claims, collections, litigation, subpoenas, compliance, corporate filings, education law issues, real estate law, trademarks, and general policy review.
Manages all legal issues affecting the University.
Advises on legal aspects of the company’s financing, including assessing and advising on current and future business structures and legal entities.
Leadership and Strategic Thinking

Leads strategic and tactical legal initiatives.
Human Resources Management

Manages human resource reporting for the department, including but not limited to, time keeping and other various personnel matters.
Selects new personnel and provides training for newly recruited team members.
Serves as a coach and mentor for other positions within the organization.
Administrative and Operational Duties

Judges the merits of major court cases filed against or on behalf of the company.
Collaborates with the appropriate executive(s) to define a strategic defense and approves settlements of disputes where warranted.
Assumes ultimate responsibility for ensuring that the company conducts its business in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
Manages the legal function, and obtains and oversees the work of outside counsel.
Leads complex business transactions in negotiating critical contracts.
Communication and Collaboration

Provides senior management with effective advice on company strategies.
Provides senior management with legislative updates concerning higher education issues.
Support the Mission of the University

Supports the mission of the university and serves as an ambassador of the university.
Job may require other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications – Required qualifications to perform the job effectively.  An equivalent combination of education, training and experience will be considered.  (Additional requirements may be designated by position.)

A Juris Doctor degree and active Missouri Bar membership is required.
Active Illinois Bar membership desired
Ten years of broad legal experience including knowledge of higher education law is required
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities – May be representative, but not all-inclusive, of those knowledge, skills and abilities commonly associated with this position.

Demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse communities and cultures.
Must have excellent written and spoken communication skills.
Must be able to establish and maintain effective relationships with staff, colleagues, students and community.
Must be able to effectively organize and prioritize work.
Must have ability to work on multiple tasks simultaneously.
Must have strong professional integrity and ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
Position requires the ability to use good judgment, think critically and communicate effectively.
Must be able to use general office hardware and computer software applications effectively.
Work Environment – Environmental or atmospheric conditions commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job.

General office conditions.
Occasional evening and weekend work may be required as duties demand
Travel between campuses may be required
Physical Abilities - Activities that are commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job.  The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Work effectively at a computer for an extended period of time each day.
Regular attendance is a necessary and essential function.
The intent of this job description is to provide a representative and level of the types of duties and responsibilities that will be required of positions given this title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the total of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description