"Assistant Counsel - Office of General Counsel - University at Albany"

Job Description

The Assistant Counsel is a member of the SUNY Office of General Counsel ("OGC") assigned to represent the University at Albany Campus, and is located on the UAlbany Campus. The position is responsible for all matters affecting the legal interests of the Campus, reporting directly to the Chief Campus Counsel at UAlbany for all legal matters.

Primary Responsibilities

• This position advises on a wide range of legal issues pertaining to University business, its relationships with affiliated entities, and its administrators, faculty, and staff. Those responsibilities include providing up-to-date and timely legal advice based on thorough research on:
  • Student leaves of absence, discipline, dismissal, and appeals;
  • Compliance with state and federal laws and regulations, including Title IX, Title VI, Title VII, FERPA, New York Education Law Article 129-b;
  • Faculty hiring, promotion, tenure, investigations, discipline, termination and discrimination;
  • Drafting and negotiating contracts within the context of New York State finance and procurement guidelines;
  • Reviewing the legal ramifications of external audits, and
  • FOIL handling and interpretation.
• This position will also assist in UAlbany litigation, which is primarily handled in court by the NYS Attorney General as trial counsel, and represents UAlbany and UAlbany employees in state and federal administrative agency proceedings.

Key Position Responsibilities include

• Developing, negotiating, reviewing academic agreements with other colleges and universities;
• Providing advice and recommendations regarding campus-based policies;
• Legal support to the Office of Enterprise Risk Management;
• Advising in various student-related matters concerning academic leaves, discipline and dismissal;
• Creating clear, concise, enforceable, persuasive legal drafts and writing supported by competent legal authority;
• Representing UAlbany and UAlbany employees in state and federal administrative agency proceedings as well as, on occasion, in state and federal courts;
• Representing UAlbany in employee and student discipline matters; discrimination cases and internal investigations, and with labor and employment issues;
• Developing and delivering training to campus constituencies on key compliance issues including 1st Amendment, attorney-client privilege, record retention/e-discovery, email, FOIL, media responses, NYS Ethics, and other areas of importance to the campus;
• Maintaining good relationships and communicating effectively with clients;
• Adhering to the highest professional and ethical standards; and
• Keeping clients updated on changes to the law affecting the University's legal interests.

SUNY Office of General Counsel (OGC) Duties

This position interfaces with their OGC colleagues to coordinate the delivery of consistent legal services, including the participation in OGC staff meetings and trainings. Lastly, this position directly handles all other duties as may be assigned by the SUNY General Counsel.

Job Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• J.D. degree from an ABA accredited law school
• Applicants must demonstrate an ability to develop inclusive and equitable relationships within our diverse campus community
• Applicants must demonstrate an ability to support diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and belonging relative to their role

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with:
  • At least one (1) year of legal experience;
  • Admission in good standing to the New York State Bar (or ability to gain admission within one year);.
  • Higher Education Law;
  • Employment and Discrimination Law (including arbitrations and interrogations);
  • Litigation experience on behalf of SUNY or another New York State agency;
  • Policy development;
  • Student Affairs related issues (including small claims);
  • Research related to contractual issues; and
  • Procurement contracts.

Additional Information

Professional Rank and Salary Range: Assistant Counsel, MP, $105,000 - $115,000.
Special Notes: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. If you currently need sponsorship or will need it in the future to maintain employment authorization, you do not meet eligibility requirements. Additionally, please note that UAlbany is not an E-Verify employer.

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, or Clery Act, mandates that all Title IV institutions, without exception, prepare, publish, and distribute an Annual Security Report. This report consists of two basic parts: disclosure of the University's crime statistics for the past three years; and disclosures regarding the University's current campus security policies. The University at Albany's Annual Security Report is available in portable document format [PDF] by clicking this link http://police.albany.edu/ASR.shtml