General Counsel

Southern Utah University (SUU) is seeking an exceptional candidate for General Counsel (GC) to serve as the chief legal officer and to provide proactive counsel and advice on critical strategic, legal, and policy issues. The GC provides legal counsel and advice to the President and SUU's administration and monitors, prioritizes, and coordinates legal affairs with SUU. The GC provides, manages, and coordinates the legal services for SUU in areas including but not limited to: academic and corporate governance, personnel and employment issues, benefits, student affairs, academic affairs, non-discrimination, conflicts of interest, ethics, gifts and development, immigration issues, contracts, tax and payroll matters, insurance and risk management, construction, purchasing, real estate, compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations, copyright and other intellectual property matters, information technology, SUU policy, athletics, Utah Shakespeare Festival, and aviation. Coordinates with the State Attorney General Office on matters of risk management and litigation, pending and potential.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Coordinate with the Attorney General's Office in matters of litigation and risk management.

Attend regular meetings with other higher education attorneys.

Advise on compliance with all applicable legal and regulatory obligations, including, without limitation, Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 as amended ("ADEA"), the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ("FERPA"), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1966 ("HIPPA"), and the General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR").

Provides requested legal opinions and advice to SUU committees and councils by serving as a resource person to President's Council and such other bodies as directed by the President or the Board of Trustees.

Provides support to administrators and campus committees in reviewing, drafting and modifying SUU policies to ensure compliance with existing and evolving federal and state law.

Reviews and/or prepares contracts and other legal documents for execution by or on behalf of SUU.

Manages all aspects of SUU's Office of General Counsel, including supervising and mentoring all staff, selecting and managing outside counsel; managing the office budget; creating and managing legal documents, filing systems, work product, and office processes; and safeguarding confidential attorney/client communications.

Provides legal counsel and guidance to the President, officers of the institution, and other upper management on policies and procedures, regulations, bylaws, and other legal documents, including, but not limited to, those relating to students, faculty and staff.

Reviews, researches, interprets, and prepares both written and oral opinions on a wide variety of legal issues.

Reviews contracts, leases, and other legal documents; researches legal issues and recommends revisions as necessary. Drafts contracts where appropriate. Review contracts, leases, and other legal documents; researches legal issues and recommends revisions as necessary. Drafts contracts where appropriate.

Represents or oversees the representation of the institution and upper management in judicial and administrative proceedings.

Selects and retains outside counsel to obtain legal opinions or to handle claims and litigation.

Maintains professional growth and development through seminars, workshops, and professional affiliations to keep apprised of the latest developments in college and university law and in other related areas.

Contributes to the overall success of SUU by performing other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the President or the Board of Trustees.

Education and Experience Requirements:

The successful candidate must have strong integrity/worth ethic, a high level of energy and proven achievement, excellent oral and written communication skills, and exceptional interpersonal relationship and team-building skills, and commitment to equal opportunity. They must have the proven ability to interpret and apply complex laws, policies, and procedures.

Candidates must have at least five years of substantial and progressively responsible legal experience practicing law. Such experience shall include the provision of sophisticated legal counsel reflecting sound judgment, first rate legal acumen, and substantive in-depth legal advice. A Juris Doctorate from an ABA-accredited law school is required. The successful candidate must be licensed to practice in Utah, or if licensed in another state, must be able to obtain admission to practice in Utah within one year of hire, and must be a member in good standing with the Utah State Bar.

The higher education environment requires flexibility, creativity, judgment, integrity, and foresight in dealing with a broad array of legal matters. The GC should possess the following knowledge, skills, and abilities in order to fulfill the requirements of the job successfully.

Knowledge and demonstrated understanding of employment law, higher education law, and contract law.

Knowledge of the procedural and evidentiary requirements of administrative hearings and litigation.

Knowledge of the principles and practices of legal research.

Demonstrated understanding of ethical issues in a university setting.

Judgment, tact, and diplomacy to provide legal counsel and advice assisting senior administrators to achieve their strategic goals and objectives.

Outstanding interpersonal skills to interact effectively and develop and maintain productive working relationships with an array of individuals, departments, programs, diverse interests, and constituencies.

Outstanding written, oral, and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate clearly, logically, and persuasively during interactions. Outstanding communications skills, including active listening skills.

Exceptional ability to draft accurate, complete, and persuasive legal documents and contract documents.

Strong computer fluency skills including the ability to conduct legal and other research.

Excellent negotiating skills.

High integrity as demonstrated by having the ability to make and communicate hard decisions and options, as well as being able to articulate the reasoning of such decisions and opinions.

Commitment to learning the extensive policies and procedures of the university and commitment to the mission of the institution.

Ability to represent institutional concerns persuasively to internal and external parties.

Demonstrated ability to act as a team player in all circumstances, as defined by contributing to the successful outcome of goals and initiatives of others and the operation of the university.

Ability to rapidly prioritize, and timely complete, pending projects and issues.

Proven ability to maintain confidentiality regarding sensitive issues and information and exercise discretion in dealing with sensitive or potentially sensitive topics.

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