Job Description
Vice President for Legal Affairs & General Counsel Job Description Summary: As the University’s chief legal officer and a member of the President’s Cabinet, the Vice President for Legal Affairs & General Counsel will shape and safeguard La Verne’s mission-driven culture by:
- Delivering proactive, strategic counsel on complex legal, regulatory, and policy matters.
- Partnering with internal clients—President, Board of Trustees, Provost and other members of senior leadership, Deans, HR, Student Affairs, Title IX, Finance, Facilities, Research—to anticipate and manage legal risk.
- Leading the Office of General Counsel (including a paralegal) and, when needed, coordinate cost-effective litigation defense with outside counsel.
- Championing a culture of preventive law: designing training, policy frameworks, and compliance programs that reduce disputes and reinforce ethical decision-making.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Juris Doctorate (JD) from an accredited law school
- Membership in good standing in the State Bar of California
- Minimum 8 years of practice in California, including work in state and federal employment law, civil rights, administrative hearings, education lawn, and higher education
- Proven experience in higher-education legal affairs or similarly complex organizations.
- Ability to develop and implement effective strategies for handling complex University legal issues.
- Demonstrated expertise in risk assessment, policy drafting, and compliance training.
- Excellent oral advocacy, negotiation, and written-communication skills.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality, exercise sound ethical judgment, and build consensus across diverse constituencies.
- Deep knowledge of higher-education law and best practices in academic and corporate governance.
- Skilled in translating complex legal issues into practical guidance.
- Proven project-management capabilities and attention to detail.
- High emotional intelligence, political savvy, and interpersonal dexterity.
- Track record of developing and delivering engaging legal-risk trainings.
- Commitment to inclusive excellence, community engagement, and ethical leadership.
Preferred Qualifications:
- 8–10 years of progressively responsible legal experience, including in-house counsel or General Counsel roles at a private or public university.
- Litigation experience in employment, student conduct, Title IX, ADA , or civil rights matters.
- Familiarity with gifts/development law, immigration issues, tax/payroll, and environmental/regulatory compliance.
- Experience in contract review, development, and negotiations
- Experience advising governing boards and senior executives, leading preventive law programs, and delivering engaging risk-management trainings.
- Experience supporting or advising on collective bargaining and labor relations.
Specific Duties:
Duty: Strategic Counsel & Governance
- Advise President, Cabinet, and Board on major decisions (governance, finance, crisis response, public relations).
- Prepare quarterly reports for Trustees on litigation, risk, and compliance.
- Monitor California legislative and regulatory developments; recommend policy responses.
- Provide preventive legal advice and guidance
Percentage of Time: 25
Duty: Policy Development, Risk Management & Compliance
- Draft, review, and update policies, handbooks, and governance documents (e.g., conduct code, Title IX, ADA , FERPA , faculty handbook).
- Oversee enterprise risk assessments, compliance audits, and investigations.
- Advise on breach response plans, vendor agreements, business and IT governance policies.
- Coordinate with OIT on risk mitigation and incident response.
- Design and deliver training on preventive law: non-discrimination, wage/hour, privacy, ethics
Percentage of Time: 20
Duty: Contracts, Licensing & Intellectual Property
- Negotiate and review contracts, MOUs, leases, construction, purchasing, and sponsored-program agreements.
- Manage trademarks,
Job Tags
Full time, Contract work, Work at office,