Assistant Deputy General Counsel for University Legal Affairs Operations

The Office of the General Counsel at CUNY is a system-wide resource for legal advice and representation. The OGC provides legal counsel to the Board of Trustees, the Chancellor, and the University's 26 constituent colleges. Its services touch all operational areas of the University, and its campuses, and supports CUNY's decision makers in advancing the University's educational mission by providing expert, relevant and timely legal advice, guidance and advocacy.

The Assistant Deputy General Counsel of University Legal Affairs Operations serves as a strategic advisor and operational leader within the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs and General Counsel. Reporting directly to the Senior Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs and General Counsel, this individual will provide both high-level legal counsel and executive oversight of the University Legal Affairs across all twenty-six campuses and provide leadership in the areas of campus counsel legal training, legal compliance, legal resources, and legal operational functions and responsiveness.

This position is a key member of the office's senior leadership team, contributing to the development and execution of strategic goals, managing complex and sensitive projects, and ensuring operational excellence across the department. The incumbent will also provide legal services in a broad range of subject areas, including legal research, drafting memoranda, and advising on matters affecting the University's mission and compliance obligations. They will work collaboratively across all OGC units, University and college campus offices to provide university-wide legal guidance and develop legal strategies and responses, draft, interpret and implement policies and procedures, identify potential litigation and policy issues and strategies, and handle employee and other confidential matters.

Key responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

Legal Counsel

• Provide legal advice and representation in diverse subject matter areas relevant to higher education law.
• Conduct legal research, draft memoranda of law, and prepare correspondence for the Senior Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs and General Counsel.
• Support the Senior Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs and General Counsel in addressing high-priority legal matters, ensuring timely and effective resolution.

Strategic Leadership & Liaison Functions

• Serve as a primary point of contact between the Senior Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs and General Counsel and senior University leadership, stakeholders, and external partners.
• Act as chief liaison to the University's Campus Counsel, facilitating communication, coordination, and issue resolution across the University's twenty-six 26 schools and colleges.
• Identify, prioritize, and manage critical legal and operational issues requiring cross-unit collaboration.
• Coordinate periodic and monthly meetings between the Senior Vice Chancellor and Campus Counsels.
• Represent the Senior Vice Chancellor at University committees, meetings, and external events as assigned.

Governance & Policy

• Monitor alignment between the University's mission, vision, values, strategy, and organizational structure.
• Address policy and operational concerns, prioritize time-sensitive matters, and escalate issues appropriately.
• Maintain strict confidentiality and exercise sound judgment, tact, and diplomacy in all interactions.

Operations & Administration

• Collaborate in the oversight of University legal affairs operations of the Campus Counsel with the Central Office of Legal Affairs, including University-wide legal matters requiring workflow management, scheduling, and administrative processes.
• Support, mentor and advise University campus counsel and supporting professional legal staff, set priorities, and ensure timely completion of projects and deliverables.
• Assist in the annual performance evaluations, promote professional development, and maintain high standards of service.
• Implement and collaborate in the oversight of legal technological and process improvements to enhance efficiency and knowledge sharing.
• Monitor and maintain records of legal licensure, training and technical support for all individuals acting as counsel.

NOTE:

Until further notice, this position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule.

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum:

This position is in CUNY's Executive Compensation Plan. All executive positions require a minimum of a bachelor's degree and eight years' related experience.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, all applicants for this position must possess the following qualifications:

• Juris Doctor Degree and a minimum of 15 to 18 years' related experience as a practicing attorney required, including experience in university, law firm, government or non-profit organization.
• Current New York State Bar membership in good standing required, or admission in another jurisdiction with eligibility for admission to the NYS bar through reciprocity or passing of the NYS bar exam within one year of hire date required.

Preferred:

• Demonstrated experience interpreting laws and organizational regulations, policies, procedures, and guidelines in a complex regulatory environment.
• Experience supervising several attorneys and attorney support staff.

The successful candidate will also demonstrate:

• Exceptional interpersonal communication, writing, and contract drafting skills, along with strong negotiation, mediation, conflict/dispute resolution, group facilitation, client counseling and presentation skills.
• Detail-oriented and accurate with exceptional critical analysis, research and evaluation skills.
• Strong work ethic, character, and personal integrity to work with the utmost professionalism, confidentiality and diplomacy.
• Proactive and flexible with ability to take initiative, exercise discretion and tact, use sound judgment to give advice, make decisions, and draw valid conclusions.
• Strong organizational skills with ability to establish plans, manage a large and varied workload of assignments with conflicting priorities, follow up and complete work by prescribed deadlines.
• Ability to produce results as an individual contributor and as a team member by working effectively, collaboratively, and cooperatively with diverse stakeholders, constituents, and clients of various levels.
• Computer proficiency using standard office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint), legal software (Westlaw, Lexis, Workshare Compare, Clearwell), e-mail/scheduling programs (Outlook) and virtual meeting/conferencing and collaboration tools (MS Teams, Zoom, Skype, WebEx, etc.).
• Commitment to public service, service excellence, inclusion, equity and professional integrity to manage sensitive work, exercise sound judgment, with ability to thrive in a demanding, multifaceted, and time-sensitive office.
• Experience in high-level negotiations and strategic communications.
• Proficiency in leveraging technology for operational improvements.
• Flexibility to work some early morning hours, evening hours and occasional weekends.

CUNY TITLE

University Administrator