General Counsel

Details

Posted: 02-Jun-24

Location: Northampton, Massachusetts

Type: Full-time

Salary: Open

Categories:

Staff/Administrative

Internal Number: R-202400287

If you have any questions about the position or our application process, reach out to us at [email protected] .

President's Office
Job Description

Smith College seeks an experienced General Counsel who will bring a capacity to lead and provide thoughtful guidance in a complex and changing higher education environment. Reporting to the president and working closely with the president's team, the general counsel will be providing a full array of in-house legal counsel for Smith College. This is a unique opportunity for a motivated self-starter to re-establish an in-house legal counsel office after 15 years of an outsourced model.

Successful candidates will have a Juris Doctorate from an ABA accredited law school with minimum 5 years legal experience and must be licensed to practice law in at least one United States jurisdiction, and will be required to seek admission to the Massachusetts Bar and maintain good standing. Expert knowledge on issues of academic freedom and the ability to navigate tensions between academic freedom and compliance with the college's legal requirements. Unquestionable integrity, trustworthiness, and a commitment to upholding rigorous ethical standards and confidentiality. Professionalism, decorum, and diplomacy in all interactions, with the ability to engage others with respect and empathy, in line with the college's mission and values is essential. A Commitment to equity and inclusion and experience working with diverse populations.

General Counsel

Essential Responsibilities:

• Oversee and maintain full responsibility for a wide array of in-house legal services for Smith College and its officials, including advice and counsel, transactions, and litigation, in areas including but not limited to governance and board bylaws, employment and labor relations, student affairs, contracts, development and gift agreements, grants, intellectual property, real estate, financing transactions, enrollment, academic freedom, immigration and visas, civil rights (including Title IX), and internal investigations.

• Establish a legal services strategy and operation for the college and retain and manage outside counsel with subject matter expertise.

• Stay abreast of legal developments relevant to higher education and proactively advise on emerging trends and changes to laws and regulations and their potential impacts on the college's operations.

• Inform the president and relevant members of the president's team in a timely manner of matters regarded as highly visible, sensitive or expose the college to legal risk or liability; work collaboratively with the president's team to manage and respond to legal issues related to their departments.

• Conduct periodic legal reviews of college policies and procedures to ensure legal compliance with appropriate laws and the principles of academic freedom. Collaborate with risk management and advise policy owners of proposed improvements.

• Foster a culture of legal compliance and ethical conduct across the college, promoting awareness and understanding of legal requirements and best practices through training and education.

• Manage and oversee the legal services budget, including centralization of expenditures of the college's legal services.

• Advise on legal aspects of, and provide assistance with, collective bargaining processes and agreements as needed.

Ideal candidates will have the following competencies, qualifications, and experience:

• Juris Doctorate from an ABA accredited law school with minimum 5 years legal experience.

• Must be licensed to practice law in at least one United States jurisdiction, and will be required to seek admission to the Massachusetts Bar and maintain good standing.

• Strong generalist knowledge and expertise on a wide range of federal, state, and local laws that relate to the mission and operation of a private, non-profit higher education institution.

• Must be a self-starter with the ability, motivation, and enthusiasm to design and establish a new legal services operation for the college.

• Expert knowledge on issues of academic freedom and the ability to navigate tensions between academic freedom and compliance with the college's legal requirements.

• Unquestionable integrity, trustworthiness, and a commitment to upholding rigorous ethical standards and confidentiality.

• Professionalism, decorum, and diplomacy in all interactions, with the ability to engage others with respect and empathy, in line with the college's mission and values.

• Commitment to equity and inclusion and experience working with diverse populations.

• Exceptional negotiation, communication, and presentation skills, capable of effectively conveying complex legal concepts to diverse audiences.

• Experience conducting or advising appropriate offices on conducting legally sufficient complex internal investigations.

• Experience negotiating and/or interpreting collective bargaining agreements is desired, but not required.

Please attach BOTH a current resume and a cover letter in order for your application to be considered for this position . Be sure you have provided all attachments before submitting your application.

You will NOT be able to attach additional files after you have hit the Submit button.

Review of applications will begin

July 16, 2024

Compensation Grade:

Grade B

Position Type:

Regular

About Smith College

Located in Northampton, MA, Smith College is one of the largest women's colleges in the country and is dedicated to excellence in teaching and research across the liberal arts. A faculty of outstanding scholars interact with students in small classes, as advisors, and through student-faculty research projects. The College is a member of the Five College Consortium with Amherst, Hampshire and Mt. Holyoke Colleges, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Students cross-enroll and faculty cross-teach across the Five Colleges.

Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 151B, it is the policy of Smith College to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. The policy regarding requests for reasonable accommodation applies to all aspects of employment, including the application process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact our recruiting team at [email protected] .

As set forth in our mission and values , Smith College is committed to promoting a culture of equity and inclusion among students, staff and faculty. The College will not discriminate in employment on the basis of age, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, genetic information, age, veteran status, physical or mental disability, or any other classification protected by law. Smith College is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all state and federal laws that prohibit discrimination.