Legal Counsel

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Knowledge of employment law. Knowledge of civil litigation. Legal writing skills. Communications skills

Role Description

Responsible for providing legal counsel to the Board of Trustees, President, and the university community. Represents the university in administrative hearings and litigation. Legal counsel is required to be licensed to practice law and provide professional legal advice.

Levels

Legal Counsel 1

Provides and assists in the provision of legal counsel typically in a specialty area.
Performs standard legal work and participates in the performance of moderately complex legal work to include research, policy review, legal compliance issues, contract reviews, property sale/acquisition, employment, and clinical affairs.
Represents the university in administrative hearings and litigation.
Serves as liaison with administrative agencies.
Responds to legal issues and counsels management in the development of legal strategies and solutions.
Researches and analyzes laws and regulations.
Prepares written and verbal opinions of counsel.
Reviews, prepares, and approves contracts involving leases, licenses, purchases, sales, insurance, employment, and research.
Assists in negotiating settlements with external and internal clients and agencies.
Makes moderately complex decisions independently and refers more complex issues to higher-level counsel.
Makes decisions regarding the appropriate manner to best resolve or pursue litigation on behalf of the University.
Determines what laws, regulations, or policies may be applied to legal questions received from university administration and decides appropriate recommendations to be made.
Decisions about settlement and decisions about recommendations when there is no clear applicable policy are referred to a higher level.

Education/Experience:

Typically requires a Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school and five years of civil practice experience in a law firm or in a corporate, higher education, or government legal office. Tennessee license to practice law or eligible for Tennessee license to practice law.

Legal Counsel 2

Performs moderately complex legal work to include research, policy review, legal compliance issues, contract reviews, property sale/acquisition, employment, and clinical affairs.
Oversees and manages the work of level 1 attorneys in specialty areas.
Serves as second-in-command in the absence of General Counsel.
Routinely provides counsel to senior leadership.
Serves as liaison with the state attorney general’s office.
Makes decisions on a wide variety of strategic decisions for handling litigation to reach the best overall result for the University.
Decisions are made as to what law, policy, or other applicable authority applies and what action is recommended to the university official and other persons seeking legal advice for university-related purposes.
Litigation settlements, litigation expenditures, and appeals from adverse decisions of trial courts are referred, with an appropriate recommendation for disposition, to the General Counsel.

Education/Experience:

Typically requires a Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school and six years of civil practice experience in a law firm or a corporate, higher education, or government legal office. Tennessee license to practice law or eligible for Tennessee license to practice law.