Department

Office of Legal Counsel

About the Department

The University's Office of Legal Counsel provides legal advice and representation to all academic and administrative units of the University under the direction and oversight of Elizabeth Shanin, the Interim Vice President and General Counsel. The Office of Legal Counsel is responsible for providing legal advice and services to University officials on a very broad set of issues associated with the University’s activities, including transactional and intellectual property matters, policy formulation, compliance, employment and student issues, dispute resolution, and litigation. The Office of Legal Counsel negotiates and resolves unique and complex issues to achieve the University’s objectives and to promote compliance with applicable laws, regulations and University policies. It represents the University’s interests in administrative and judicial proceedings, and advises University officials in establishing and maintaining relationships with regulatory and other governmental entities and establishing and maintaining related compliance policies and protocols.

Job Summary

The job performs clerical, administrative, compliance, and litigation-related services to support legal counsel, and to protect the University's reputation and advance its academic goals and business interests. With a high level of discretion, maintains corporate records, manages the University housing loan program and office budget, and performs other related duties.

Responsibilities

Provides administrative support for the daily operations of the Office of Legal Counsel; serves as the main Legal Department contact for University legal inquiries received through the Legal Department’s general number and email; represents the office in certain business affairs; maintains office machines; and assists in the coordination of office moves.

Provides professional legal support services to attorneys and assists in file preparation; helps prepare and maintain corporate affiliate records (e.g., board minute books) and real estate records (e.g., deeds); assists attorneys with responding to subpoenas and third-party requests; manages the University’s legal hold process; prepares and maintains compliance documents; organizes other paper and electronic files; works with University administrators, faculty, and staff; coordinates the annual reporting of University property tax exemptions for Cook County; and prepares and submits annual reports, business registration and sales tax exemptions for University entities in various states. All legal support work is supervised by a lawyer and must be conducted in a manner compatible with the professional/ethical obligations of the lawyer.

Manages the housing loan program for faculty and staff; collects and processes information and documents for University staff and faculty housing and non-housing loans, involving extensive collaboration with University faculty, deans and administrators, and outside lenders and attorneys; assists in the closing of housing loans, including drafting closing documents; may design, develop, and maintain housing loan databases.

Develops, reviews and tracks the budget and oversight of the day-to-day financial processes; prepares regular budget status updates; may design, develop, and maintain databases for budget; explains and reports budget variances as necessary; serves as the Legal Department expert on budget issues and partners with the Budget Office on budget-related matters and subsequent solutions; partners with Risk Management on insurance coverage and reimbursement; actively monitors outside legal spending, including accruing outside legal fees and processing outside counsel and vendor invoices; approves invoices processed through the University's financial system; serves as the primary office point person on budget system implementation and becomes the subject matter expert on using and teaching others on how to use the budget system; becomes the office expert on the electronic billing system.

Liaising with central HR on human resource issues, processes and transactions on behalf of the Legal Department.

Plans, develops, analyzes and manages budget, including developing multi-year budget forecasts. May oversee the preparation and management of grant and contract proposals, ensuring compliance with all University, federal and private foundation guidelines and regulations. Develops financial reports and assists with seeking funding for grants.

Works with minimal guidance in space, facilities, and equipment, including renovations, moves, maintenance and ongoing facilities operations.

Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications
 

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in a related field.

Experience:

Work experience in a related job discipline.

Prior experience with central administration within a complex research university environment.

Preferred Competencies

Prior experience with central administration within a complex research university environment.

Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Excellent interpersonal and client service skills.

Handle public and client contacts and challenging situations with courtesy, clarity, patience, and diplomacy.

Handle sensitive and confidential situations and information with absolute discretion, and maintain confidentiality.

Maintain calm and courteous demeanor and to work productively despite heavy workload, competing priorities, complex problems, and tight deadlines.

Excellent problem-solving skills.

Use appropriate resources to resolve an issue.

Follow an issue through to resolution.

Considerable skill in working both independently and as a team member.

Take initiative and organize and complete projects with minimal supervision.

Collegiality, and a positive attitude.

Application Documents

Resume/CV (required)

Cover Letter (required)

References Contact Information (required)

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Administration & Management

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$7,500.00 - $105,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement
 

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

 

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

 

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

 

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.