Position Title: Assc General Counsel

Employee Classification: Assc General Counsel

College/Division: President's Office

Department: 480200-UNIVERSITY GENERAL COUNSEL

Internal or External Search: External - Open to all applicants

Location: Las Cruces

Offsite Location (if applicable):

Target Hourly/Salary Rate:  Commensurate with qualifications.

Appointment Full-time Equivalency:  1.0

Exempt or Non-Exempt:  Exempt

Summary:  New Mexico State University (NMSU) seeks a highly efficient, organized and productive attorney to serve as Associate General Counsel. The selected candidate will report to the General Counsel and work with other university attorneys, outside counsel and university administrators.

The successful candidate will be responsible for timely responding to public records disclosure requests (IPRA), subpoenas, and discovery requests. Additionally, the incumbent will work on state procurement and contracting matters, as well as intellectual property and other business transactions.

Other matters may include employment, civil rights, public entity law, academic and student affairs, litigation support and other higher education issues.

This position requires excellent writing skills, good business judgment, and the ability to work under limited supervision.

NMSU is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

Select the link for complete job announcement and to apply.

Classification Summary:
Provides legal consultation services to management in order to develop legal strategies and solutions. Provides general oversight and internal facilitation for dispute-resolution processes delegated to outside counsel. Reviews and drafts policies, procedures and internal regulatory documents for legal compliance and administrative efficiency. Assists policy implementation and training and related updates within the university community. Provides written legal opinions as requested by the General Counsel and/or other executive management.

Classification Standard Duties:
Provides legal consultation services to senior officials in order to develop business and legal strategies and solutions. Reviews, for legal compliance and administrative efficiency, and/or drafts proposed new or revised policies, procedures and other internal regulatory documents. Assists management with delivery and content updates for the training of members of the university community and with other policy/procedure implementation related Issues. Provides legal opinions as requested by the General Counsel and/or other senior officials. Assists General Counsel in providing guidance and internal facilitation to outside legal counsel in pending disputes involving the University. Supports management in implementing work allocation, training, promotion and enforcement of internal procedures and controls and dispute resolution; provides legal-risk assessments for management in evaluating performance and makes legal-risk recommendations for personnel actions. Performs miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.

Required Education, Experience, Certification/License, Equivalency
Required Education:Juris Doctorate or equivalent in hand by hire date.; Required Experience:Five (5) years of professional experience directly related to the standard duties as outlined (Mid-career with at least five (5) years of higher education legal experience); Equivalency:None; Required Certification/License:

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
KNOWLEDGE:Knowledge of contract documents and specifications. Knowledge of current and developing legal issues and trends in area of expertise. Knowledge of the principles and procedures of legal research. Knowledge of process requirements of administrative hearings and litigation. Knowledge of legal documentation procedures and requirements.; SKILLS:Organizing and coordinating skills. Negotiating skills.; ABILITIES:Ability to work with limited supervision and complex institutional matters reasonably soon after accepting this position. Ability to develop and deliver presentations and provide advice to senior officials. Ability to create, compose and edit legal opinions, compile responsive documentation according to regulatory requirements, and draft binding legal documents and other written materials. Ability to investigate and analyze information and draw legally-accurate conclusions. Ability to provide guidance to management in supervising and training employees, to include organizing, prioritizing, and scheduling work assignments. Ability to oversee and provide coordination support for outside attorneys who represent University officials in litigation or administration proceedings. Ability to draft legal documents, such as contracts, demand letters, affidavits, and position statements. Ability to develop and implement legal strategies and solutions. Ability to apply supportable legal reasoning to continually-changing higher-education client scenarios. Ability to engage diverse institutional constituent/client temperaments with steady and solution-oriented demeanor.

Job Duties and Responsibilities
The staff attorney in this position provides or assists in the delivery of legal services to organizational units of the institution, under limited supervision. The attorney works directly with other in-house attorneys, outside counsel, and university administrators, providing legal advice and services including compliance advice, document drafting on a broad range of legal issues, including academic and student affairs, athletics, contracts, procurement, litigation support, civil rights, international programs, employment matters an other legal issues in higher education. The attorney will also coordinate the University's responses to subpoenas and open records requests. The attorney will maintain and update legal matter records utilizing electronic file management and research systems.

Preferred Qualifications

Past higher education, government contracting, and public records disclosure experience preferred.

Special Requirements of the Position

Department Contact:  Estela Heredia, eheredia@nmsu.edu, 6-3499

Contingent Upon Funding: Not Applicable

Bargaining Unit Eligibility: This is a bargaining unit position with American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME).

Standard Work Schedule: Standard (M-F, 8-5)

If Not a Standard Work Schedule: 

Working Conditions and Physical Effort

Environment: Work is normally performed in a typical interior/office work environment.

Physical Effort: No or very limited physical effort required.

Lifting Requirements: Requires handling of average-weight objects up to 10 pounds or some standing or walking.

Risk: No or very limited exposure to physical risk.