Senior Staff Attorney

Western Governors University•Salt Lake, UT

5d•Onsite

About The Position

If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career. Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families. The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is: Grade: Professional 313 Pay Range: $123,000.00 - $190,700.00

Requirements

Juris Doctorate degree from an ABA-accredited law school.
3+ years’ experience in active legal practice or other related experience or a combination of related learning and experience.
Licensed and in good standing to practice law in Utah, or admissible at the earliest opportunity, and no later than one year from the position start date.
Sound independent judgment and professional integrity.
Prompt and effective research, analytical, and writing skills.
Ability to build relationships and influence within the OGC and the University.
Ability to accurately prioritize and respond to issues and requests.
Ability to identify solutions that combine legal considerations with institutional needs.
Ability to think creatively and offer informed opinions.
Prompt development of knowledge in a wide range of legal areas.
Ability to monitor and resolve multiple, concurrent matters.
Understanding of federal higher education policy and industry trends
Broad educational and professional interests illustrating a desire to learn.

Nice To Haves

In-house counsel experience
Experience in higher education or nonprofit organizations.

Responsibilities

Assists senior attorneys in the Office of General Counsel (OGC) with research and analysis on a wide variety of legal issues including intellectual property, student affairs, privacy, employment, regulatory compliance, and other issues impacting the University.
Drafts, reviews, and negotiates contracts for a variety of business transactions to align with university standards and business goals.
Facilitates and manages contract enforcement activities.
Engages with University leaders to identify and address risk under the supervision of senior attorneys.
Evaluates and responds to potential legal claims under the supervision of senior attorneys.
Responds timely to all inquiries.
Performs other job-related duties as assigned.