Assistant General Counsel

Job Code: IRC47372

Department: Office of General Counsel

Assist General Counsel in providing legal advice and counsel to the University.  Incumbent has a support role in areas of actual and potential legal liability, including but not limited to, reviewing and drafting contracts, advising on personnel matters, providing representation in internal administrative proceedings, interpreting federal and state laws and regulations, interpreting University policies, regulations and rules, developing and drafting policies and procedures, assisting in legal transactions. Work is performed under the administrative direction of the General Counsel with limited supervision and occasional general supervisory review. The performance evaluation is conducted through the performance evaluation system and in accordance with the University Policies & Procedures.

Reports to: General Counsel, Secretary to the Board of Regents, and Chief Compliance Officer

Supervises: May supervise support staff or student assistants

ESSENTIAL DUTIES - May include, but not limited to the following:

• Provides advice and counsel to the governing Board, Chancellor and President, Vice Presidents and other administrators on legal matters that affect TWU.
• Keeps abreast of emerging legal issues that may have an impact on the University, programs or curriculum.
• Researches legal issues and provides written recommendations and memorandum.
• Drafts and reviews contracts.
• Reviews legal documents as necessary.
• Provides legal support on employment matters including interpretation of applicable laws and regulations.
• Assists with responses to request for public information in accordance with the Texas Public Information Act.
• Assists General Counsel to develop, coordinate and conduct in-service training on legal topics for administrators and support staff.
• Assists with the development, review and preparation of board agendas, posting notices.
• Supports the General Counsel in representing TWU in Administrative and legal proceedings.
• Assists with the development, preparation and implementation of policies, by-laws, administrative procedures and other guidelines.
• Assists General Counsel in supervision of outside counsel.
• Assists the General Counsel with the Board meetings.
• Provides legal support, and/or interpretations on labor laws, discrimination complaints, grievance processes, and faculty and student issues.
• Assists the General Counsel with supervisory duties of the staff of the Office of the General Counsel

Contract Administrator for Office of General Counsel

• Reviews, negotiate, drafts and conducts administrative organization of clinical affiliation agreements.
• Works with academic departments and sometimes affiliates to ensure smooth facilitation of clinical affiliation agreements from creation of the document to final execution and implementation.
• Reviews procurement contracts and non-clinical academic agreements (MOUs, NDAs, Research, Intellectual Property, etc.) for legal sufficiency, business terms, if necessary.
• Reaches out to departments to explain legal consequences of business terms.
• Utilizes software management for Contract Administration.
• Works with vendor counsel to negotiate agreeable terms.
• Assigns contract number and notifies department.
• Reviews contracts for missing and incorrect information, legal sufficiency, compliance issues (e.g. arbitration clauses, criminal background check clauses, FERPA, indemnification, insurance, liability, and subrogation).
• Drafts new terms when necessary.

Drafts and Updates University Waivers and Contract Templates

• Academic Agreements, Clinical and Non-Clinical (MOU, NDA, MTA, Research, etc.)
• Procurement Contract
• General Contracts (Speaker/Performer, etc.)
• Waivers for all TWU departments and programs that need them.

Special Projects and Training

• Trains academic departments on how to use software systems to process affiliation agreements.
• Drafts Knowledge Base Articles for stakeholders to request service from Office of General Counsel.
• Assists with complex and high level contracts and agreements.
• Researches and develops opinions as assigned by General Counsel.
• Provides legal advice to requesting faculty and staff.

Public Information Coordinator

• Processes complex and routine public information act requests.
• Identify departments with responsive information
• Sends requests to departments with responsive information.
• Reviews requests for Public Information Act exceptions and necessary redactions.
• Makes necessary redactions.
• Drafts 10 to 15 day letters to Office of the Attorney General for exceptions and redactions.
• Drafts cost estimate letters.
• Sends responsive information, cost estimate, or 10 and 15 day briefs to requester.
• Ensures timely processing.
• Creates, maintains and monitors files.

Board Secretary

• Assists General Counsel with the Board of Regent meetings.
• Updates Board information and forms.
• Updates new Board of Regent information.
• Assists General Counsel with Board Secretary duties as needed.

Special Projects and Training

• Trains academic departments on affiliation agreements process.
• Assists with Faculty Review Committee hearings.
• Bankruptcy.

ADDITIONAL DUTIES

• Performs other duties as requested.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES - The following are essential:

• Ability to provide very strong research, writing and communications skills.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective work relationships with students, faculty, staff, and the public.
• Ability to organize work effectively, conceptualize and prioritize objectives and exercise independent judgment based on an understanding of organizational policies and activities.
• Ability to integrate resources, policies, and information for the determination of procedures, solutions, and other outcomes.
• Knowledge of an experience in business contracts and lease drafting preferred
• Strong interpersonal and leadership skills.
• Ability to comply with deadlines such as legal/legislative.
• Familiarity with education, corporate and government law.
• Ability to travel as required.
• Ability to use a personal computer and other office equipment, including university related software and email.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• The physical demands described in the Essential Duties and below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential duties of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties.
• The employee may be required to travel.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

All employees are responsible for maintaining an environment that is free from discrimination, intimidation, harassment, including sexual harassment. Work is normally performed in a typical interior work environment.

SAFETY

TWU promotes a safe working environment. Employees are responsible for completing assigned tasks safely and efficiently, and supervisors are responsible for creating and maintaining a safe work environment. Employees must report any unsafe work conditions or practices, as well as any near-miss incidents, to their supervisor and Risk Management. Supervisors and employees should ensure that injury/accident reports are submitted to the Office of Human Resources and Risk Management within 24 hours of the incident.

Education: J.D. degree from an accredited law school required.  Member, State Bar of Texas required or ability to become licensed within twelve (12) months from date of hire.   Experience: Four years of progressively responsible legal and administrative experience required.  In-house or higher education legal experience preferred.