Assistant/Associate General Counsel
About The Position
The Office of General Counsel (OGC) at Cornell University, comprising approximately 25 attorneys and ten staff, provides comprehensive legal services and advice to all Cornell campuses and units in the United States and abroad. The office operates from two locations: the main Cornell campus in Ithaca, New York, and the Weill Cornell Medicine campus in New York City. The OGC handles a broad spectrum of legal matters, including litigation, business transactions, compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations, government grants and contracts, labor and employment, faculty and student issues, privacy, intellectual property, technology transfer, information technology law and security, safety and environmental law, health law, real estate, international issues, and non-profit and tax matters. This specific position will be based in the Ithaca, NY office, with attorneys expected to be in person for the majority of the work week. Applications must be received by August 28, 2026, for full consideration.
Requirements
- Excellent academic credentials and a J.D. or L.L.B. degree.
- Member of, or eligible to obtain prompt reciprocal admission to, the New York State Bar.
- Minimum of five years of litigation experience and an exceptional record of relevant legal experience and accomplishment.
- For Asst. General Counsel: generally at least 5 years of relevant work experience.
- For Assoc. General Counsel: generally at least 10 years of relevant work experience.
- Well-honed legal research skills.
- Superior written and oral communication skills, as evidenced by experience drafting briefs and presenting oral arguments in court.
- Strong multi-tasking skills.
- Ability to work independently.
- Commitment to teamwork in a fast-paced, deadline-driven legal office environment.
- Demonstrated experience across a broad range of civil litigation matters.
- Experience in employment litigation.
- Experience in New York state courts.
Nice To Haves
- Litigation experience on behalf of institutions of higher education, including private universities.
- Litigation experience in New York state courts, including Article 78 proceedings.
- Experience responding to EEOC, OCR, and DHR investigations.
- Experience responding to government and civil subpoenas.
- Experience advising clients on legal and risk mitigation.
- Experience with internal investigations.
- Substantive expertise in one or more of the following areas: employment law, including discrimination, reasonable accommodation, and/or civil rights matters; student affairs; contract and vendor disputes; personal injury; intellectual property rights; privacy and data protection; and governmental regulation.
Responsibilities
- Represent Cornell in litigation in state and federal court, and occasionally in administrative proceedings.
- Assist with supervising and managing outside counsel in select litigation matters.
- Engage in preventative lawyering and investigations.
- Collaborate with colleagues in other areas of service that the office provides.
- Handle a wide variety of litigation tasks, from the initial stages of a case through appeal.
Benefits
- Comprehensive health care options
- Generous retirement contributions
- Access to wellness programs
- Employee discounts with local and national retail brands
- Health and personal leave
- Three weeks of vacation
- 13 holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and an end of the year winter break from December 25-January 1.
- Two additional floating holidays
- Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program (tuition-free)
- Tuition aid for external education
- Cornell Children's Tuition Assistance Program
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
