General Counsel

The General Counsel serves as the chief legal officer to the university and leads the Office of General Counsel, which coordinates and provides all legal services to the university. The General Counsel provides, oversees and manages all legal advice and representation to the institution to ensure maximum protection of its legal rights and to maintain its operations within the limits prescribed by law. Provides strategic consultation and support to the university president and the Board of Trustees, and to senior administrators and others on a comprehensive range of complex legal issues, policies and procedures. As a member of the President’s Cabinet and executive leadership team, General Counsel serves as an institutional leader and provides insight on a wide range of issues.

Required Qualifications

Juris Doctor from an accredited law school.

Licensed to practice law in Michigan or admissible in Michigan within six months of hire.

Ten years of experience practicing law in the United States.

Five years of experience representing or providing legal services to, or within, a complex organization.

Ability to provide competent legal advice and counsel to senior university officials on a wide range of legal and policy issues.

Knowledge of the range of applicable laws and regulations which impact on all facets of university policy and operations.

Ability to analyze and interpret issues and to prepare legal opinions.

Demonstrated ability to successfully manage a legal office, including budget, fiscal and personnel management, and to foster a cooperative work environment.

Track record of excellent business and legal judgment. Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.

Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills.

Experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating legal documents.

Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with Trustees, administrators, employees, students, and outside parties.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience as an in-house attorney for, or providing services to, a public university, providing legal services in multiple areas and/or representing university as a primary client.

Experience in two or more specialty areas of law (e.g. constitutional autonomy; governmental immunity; first amendment law; civil rights law; research related legal issues; healthcare law; construction law; real estate law; athletics; charitable gifts.)

Familiarity with college/university operations.

Duties & Responsibilities

Provides legal counsel and guidance to the Board of Trustees, president, and administration on all legal matters relevant to a modern, public research institution.

Responsible for the delivery of all legal services to the university; determines matters to handle personally, matters to delegate to staff, and matters to delegate to outside counsel.

Researches, reviews, interprets and prepares advice, assistance, and legal opinions (written and oral) to the president, Board of Trustees and other senior managers of the university.

Drafts, or reviews drafts, of institutional policies, rules and practices.

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

Advises university officials regarding legal issues affecting current and emerging business and policy decisions at the institution in order to develop legal strategies and solutions.

Manages all litigation and administrative agency proceedings in which the university is involved, except workers’ compensation.

Determines when to engage external counsel, selects that counsel, negotiates the terms of the engagement and supervises the representation.

Establishes and maintains an organizational structure and staffing to effectively accomplish the goals and objectives of the office of General Counsel; oversees recruitment, training, supervision and evaluation of employees. Supervises the work of other attorneys, staff, and outside counsel. Develops and manages operational budget for the department.

Advances the university’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

A list of the areas of legal services overseen by the General Counsel is available in a separate document entitled Office of General Counsel: Office Responsibilities and Role.

Supervision Exercised

Supervisors are expected to support the Leadership Standards of Central Michigan University and foster a culture that inspires excellence. The Leadership Standards define how we lead and treat others in our teams. As leaders, it is our responsibility to seek input from our teams to continuously improve leadership abilities and demonstration of the standards. Additionally, it is our responsibility to encourage and support the growth and development of those whom we lead. At CMU, we encourage employees to grow both personally and professionally, and thus advance CMU’s culture of excellence.

Message to Applicants

Applications and nominations are now being accepted. For best consideration, please submit application materials as soon as possible. DHR International is assisting Central Michigan University in this search. Initial screening of the applications and nominations will continue until an appointment is made. Individuals who wish to nominate a candidate should submit a brief letter of nomination including contact information for the nominee. Application materials should include a letter addressing how your experiences match the position requirements, curriculum vitae or resume and five references. Submission of documents as PDF attachments is strongly encouraged.

Inquiries, nominations, and application materials should be directed to DHR International via the email below:

[email protected]

Additional contact information for the DHR search team is included below as well.

John Larson

Associate

DHR

International 71 S. Wacker Drive, Suite 2700 Chicago, IL 60606

T: 312-782-1581