Legal Operations Specialist

University of Notre Dame•Notre Dame, IN

About The Position

The Office of General Counsel (“OGC”) is seeking a strategic, highly versatile, and independent Legal Operations Specialist. Reporting to the Director of Legal Operations, the Specialist is responsible for the independent oversight of office-wide systems, project lifecycles, and high-level workflows for complicated and diverse legal matters. The Specialist must exercise significant discretion in prioritizing legal demands, managing institutional risk through litigation- and transactional-oversight protocols, and developing policies and processes that advance the University’s strategic mission. The Specialist serves as a high-level partner to University lawyers and administrative liaison to campus departments and outside law firms, independently facilitating the resolution of complex legal matters and advancing the University’s mission. Due to the high degree of autonomy and the significance of the matters handled, the role requires unwavering integrity, impeccable professional judgment, and a commitment to confidentiality.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree
1 to 2 years of experience
Superior verbal and written communication skills
Strong analytical, conceptual, and quantitative abilities
Exceptional organizational and time-management skills, including attention to detail
Ability to work well under pressure, juggle tasks, and work efficiently against deadlines
High level of professional maturity and demonstrable good judgment
Ability to forge strong relationships and inspire trust quickly

Nice To Haves

Experience in professional services or consulting environment a plus

Responsibilities

Independently lead and advance office priorities by diagnosing systemic issues, formulating comprehensive solutions, and executing responsive measures without immediate supervision.
Design and oversee the triage process for legal requests from campus partners and outside firms; exercise independent judgment to prioritize conflicting needs and allocate office resources across open matters.
Define, scope, and execute complex projects to advance OGC and University goals; authorize project milestones, manage stakeholder expectations, and pivot strategies based on independent assessment of progress.
Serve as the primary administrative lead for specific practice areas; develop and authorize training curricula and resources used by University lawyers and campus leadership.
Manage and enforce the University’s legal hold protocols; serve as the primary decision-maker regarding the scope and duration of holds in coordination with IT partners.
Supervise the litigation discovery process, serving as the primary lead for document production strategy; act as the principal point of contact for outside counsel to negotiate data transfer protocols and timelines.
Independently evaluate requests for information under FERPA and third-party subpoenas; determine the relevance of documentation and authorize responsive correspondence (referring to lawyers only in rare situations where legal interpretation is required).
Oversee the preparation and execution of complex filings with courts and government agencies, ensuring institutional compliance with litigation deadlines, settlement requirements, and regulatory mandates.
Manage the University’s legal template library; exercise independent discretion in triaging routine transactional work and determining which matters require lawyer intervention versus standard operational approval.
Lead the management of corporate governance and licensing obligations, ensuring the University maintains its standing and compliance with state and federal requirements.
Analyze changes in the regulatory landscape; formulate reports on the impact of federal regulations and proactively recommend policy changes to the legal team to mitigate institutional risk.
Evaluate, enhance, and implement office-wide policies and best practices to optimize efficiency; identify institutional bottlenecks and authorize new workflow solutions.
Direct the implementation and management of legal technology solutions, including the evaluation and integration of AI tools and document management systems.
Serve as a high-level liaison for the OGC with various campus constituencies, authorized to represent office interests and policies in university-wide committees.
Manage complex scheduling and resource allocation for the legal team, making independent decisions on reprioritization to resolve high-stakes scheduling conflicts.