Associate University Counsel

University of Louisville•Louisville, KY

12d•Onsite

About The Position

The Associate University Counsel position reports to the Deputy General Counsel in the Office of University Counsel. This position will be expected to provide legal advice on a wide range of legal matters impacting a metropolitan research institution of higher education, with a primary focus on advising the institution’s leadership and key personnel on legal matters relating to the research enterprise and intellectual property of the University and its affiliated entities. The Associate University Counsel will serve as the primary point of contact for legal issues related to sponsored research, technology transfer, intellectual property including University and athletic trademarks, research integrity/scientific misconduct, conflicts of interest, human subjects research, biosafety, and privacy matters.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited institution and admission in good standing to the Kentucky Bar, or eligible for admission within six (6) months.
Must have six (6) years of experience as a practicing attorney.

Nice To Haves

5-7 years’ experience as a practicing attorney, with at least 3 of those years spent in a legal or research setting in higher education.
Demonstrate the highest level of integrity and professionalism, possess superior communication skills, have the demonstrated ability to work in a collegial and professional manner with peers and clients, have a record of academic and professional excellence, and have an interest in practicing higher education law in a general counsel's office of a major public university.
Project Management – organized, task oriented, responsive; documented track record of meeting critical deadlines.
Proactive – anticipates and plans for problems before they arise.
Analytical – evaluates data and other information with the ability to choose the best solution and make recommendations.
Flexible – ability to change directions as needed for the good of the organization.
Service Excellence – responsive, informs constituents of process, pleasant to work with, educates and provides timely, accurate information.
Organized – manages time effectively, keeps task appropriately prioritized.
Critical Thinking – ability to think through issues and identify appropriate options.
Work Ethic – motivated, diligent, industrious, and persistent in the workplace, stays on tasks to completion, works at a fast pace to ensure optimal efficiency.
Interpersonal Skills – can build effective, strong working relationships with employees, colleagues, management and vendors through trust, communication, and credibility.
Teamwork – ability to work well with others, and take direction and constructive feedback from others in the interest of moving process and programs forward to the desired outcome.

Responsibilities

Draft and negotiate agreements in furtherance of the strategic research initiatives of the University and its affiliated entities, including but not limited to sponsored research agreements, technology transfer and licensing agreements, grant agreements, non-disclosure agreements, data transfer agreements, software licenses, etc.
Advise internal stakeholders on compliance with key legal issues affecting research in higher education, including state and federal law and regulations.
Provide legal advice on conflicts of interest and conflicts of commitment issues to internal stakeholders.
Serve as the legal point of contact for the Institutional Review Board and Human Subjects Protection Office, and advise on issues including but not limited to subject informed consent, regulatory compliance, and privacy.
Provide legal advice on research integrity and scientific misconduct matters, including related investigations.
Advise and review issues related to data privacy, including but not limited to GDPR and Kentucky privacy laws.
Advise on intellectual property matters affecting the University and its affiliated entities.
Serve on (as applicable) and provide legal advice to various committees that support the strategic Discover initiatives of the University, including but not limited to data governance and artificial intelligence.
Review, negotiate, and coordinate research and intellectual property related procurement contracts, including those with external counsel.
Provide general legal support for other matters as assigned by the Deputy General Counsel and Chief Legal Counsel.