General Counsel

Serve as the chief legal officer of the University, coordinate all of Denison’s legal affairs, and provide advice and counsel to Denison’s President, executive officers, management, faculty, and staff. Advise on legal matters, help protect the University’s reputation and financial base, oversee outside use of counsel, and assist on compliance with federal, state and local laws governing private, non-profit institutions of higher learning.

Essential Job Functions
Represent Denison as its chief legal officer, serving as Denison’s legal representative.

Provide comprehensive legal counsel, representation, and oversight on the wide range of legal and regulatory matters including transactional matters, dispute resolution, human resources, investigations, and policy formulation, and conducts all necessary and appropriate related legal work. Representative areas of law routinely addressed include governance, labor and employment, civil rights (including Title IX and FERPA), real estate, land use and property law, investments, contracts, financing transactional work, complex gifts, technology licensing, intellectual property, cultural property, and litigation.

Establish a service-oriented office of legal affairs and lead, coordinate, and manage legal services across Denison. Serve as a senior advisor to the President, executive officers, management, faculty, and staff.

Supervise outside legal counsel, including transactions, contracting, litigation, and regulatory matters.

Protect Denison’s institutional integrity, extending to best practices, and counsels on matters with potential liability and that present substantial institutional risk, including impairment of Denison’s reputation or legal status as a tax-exempt organization

Engage or approve the engagement of outside counsel on behalf of the university, working directly with the President and Vice Presidents. Serve as a senior advisor to the President, executive officers, management, faculty, and staff.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications
Juris Doctorate degree with the requisite legal background, a member in good standing of the state bar of Ohio (or can be admitted to Ohio bar within a reasonable time frame) and possess the strong interpersonal skills necessary to successfully function in a senior, complex role.

Must have a current, valid driver’s license and must be insurable under Denison’s liability insurance policy.

Preferred Qualifications
Minimum 10 years relevant legal experience, including familiarity with higher education, academic, research, and student life issues.

Outstanding written and oral communication skills.

Effectiveness in working as a positive contributor to senior management teams and in developing collegial relationships across complex organizations.

A dynamic mindset.

Experience managing a broad portfolio of legal issues, litigation, and legal risk assessment.