Senior Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel

Towson University•Towson, MD

About The Position

The Senior Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel serves as the University’s chief legal officer and chief legal advisor to the President, and is an integral member of the senior leadership team, Executive Leadership Team, and President’s Cabinet. The SVP provides legal advice and direction on complex projects with university-wide impact and advises on the legal implications of University policies, initiatives, strategies, and decisions. The SVP leads the Office of the General Counsel, a fast-paced, high-volume office that advises the University community on a broad range of legal matters. The office includes two Senior Associate General Counsels, the Office of Equity Compliance led by a senior attorney, a Paralegal, a Contracts Administrator, and an Executive Administrative Assistant. The SVP provides strategic counsel to University leadership, leads institutional legal strategy and policy development, manages legal professionals and staff, and addresses the legal and regulatory challenges facing a public institution of higher education. The role also serves as executive leader of the Office of Equity Compliance, managing and supporting the Associate Vice President for Equity Compliance in leading the office’s day-to-day affairs. The SVP supports impartial, equitable, and efficient investigations into allegations of sexual harassment and civil rights violations and ensures allegations are handled timely and efficiently.

Requirements

Juris Doctorate from an ABA-accredited institution.
Current and active Maryland Bar Admission license, or ability to become licensed within 12 months of employment.
Minimum of 10 years of legal experience, including a significant portion involving oversight and management of investigations, audits, and legal guidance, and experience overseeing, coordinating, and managing legal affairs in a university, government, nonprofit, or corporate setting.
Experience providing legal advice or services to a wide range of internal and external stakeholders with varying interests.
Minimum of 5 years of experience leading, supervising, and directing the work of other attorneys, legal professionals, and support staff.
Exemplary personal and professional integrity and the highest ethical standards.
Ability to strategically and creatively meet the dynamic legal needs of a campus, facilitate change, and build strong relationships.
Thorough understanding of legal issues facing a public-sector university and knowledge of state and federal laws and regulations applicable to higher education, with the ability to recognize issues of institutional importance.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to distill complex legal issues into accessible, concise advice for sophisticated non-lawyer clients.
Demonstrated proficiency applying best practices to academic legal issues and affairs with diligence, integrity, and successful outcomes.
Demonstrated experience and success handling multiple priorities and tasks.
Pragmatic and flexible thinking, with the ability to advance key stakeholder goals and accept legal risk when necessary to advance institutional strategic objectives.
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders with varied interpersonal and communication styles.

Nice To Haves

Legal experience serving as counsel within a college or university Office of General Counsel.
Familiarity and experience with Maryland higher education institutions.
Experience providing legal advice on a wide range of topics within a complex shared-governance organization with varying constituencies, including university faculty.
Positive, flexible attitude and ability to maintain positive relationships with colleagues while working through challenging situations.
Collaborative work style and ability to work well with senior university leaders, peers, and subordinates.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic and legal counsel to the President and senior leadership to drive institutional growth and advance strategic initiatives in a risk-aware manner.
Participate in developing and achieving institutional legal strategy and policy, advising on legal and regulatory issues, ethics, and risk appetite.
Lead and manage legal professionals who advise the University community on matters including sponsored research, employment, student affairs, civil rights laws, NCAA compliance, State of Maryland requirements, and transactional matters.
Advocate for improvements in policies, laws, and regulations to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of public-institution management.
Manage high-stakes government investigations and litigation with sensitivity to institutional goals and needs.
Assess the merit of legal claims for defense, compromise, and settlement; manage review of University contracts and business relationships; and monitor higher education, legislative, regulatory, and legal trends.
Build and maintain collaborative working relationships and develop preventive legal strategies, institutional policies, and compliance programs to help minimize litigation, third-party disputes, and project development or implementation issues.
Collaborate with University leaders, general counsels of other USM institutions, and the State of Maryland Office of the Attorney General.
Serve as chief spokesperson for negotiating legal agreements and settlements as needed.
Manage the activities and work of the Associate Vice President for Equity Compliance and support that official in leading the day-to-day affairs of the Office of Equity Compliance.
Support impartial, equitable, and efficient investigations into allegations of sexual harassment and civil rights violations.
Ensure allegations are handled timely and efficiently.