General Counsel and Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs

General Counsel and Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs
The City University of New York
 
The City University of New York (CUNY) is seeking nominations and applications for a General Counsel and Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs.  CUNY is the nation’s largest urban university system with 24 college and school units, 274,000 degree students, and more than 45,000 faculty and staff. 

The Vice Chancellor is the chief legal officer of the University, with the following responsibilities:
• General Counsel to the Board of Trustees
• Reporting directly to the Chancellor and serving on the Chancellor’s cabinet as a member of the University’s leadership team 
• Supervising a staff of approximately 20 attorneys representing the University’s interests in:
o     approving contracts
o     defending  labor arbitrations 
o     coordinating with City and State agencies the defense of the University in legal proceedings  and devising settlement agreements 
o     drafting university policies
o     providing CUNY’s 24 colleges and schools with policy and legal guidance 
o     coordinating the University’s compliance with government mandates, and conducting  training for University staff on legal and compliance issues.   

Candidates for the position should possess:
• An earned J.D. or LL.B. degree from an accredited school of law;
•  At least eight years of progressively responsible experience as an attorney overseeing legal operations and policy development for large organizations, preferably in public institutions or institutions of higher education, with no less than four years in a senior supervisory capacity;
• Admission to the bar in the State of New York or admission in another jurisdiction with eligibility for admission to the New York State bar (through reciprocity or passage of the New York State bar examination);
• Evidence of professional commitment to equal opportunity, affirmative action, diversity, educational excellence and other core values of public higher education and of The City University of New York; and
• Documented superior legal, communication and organizational skills.
 
The review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Applications and nominations are encouraged by January 31, 2017.

APPLICATIONS:  Applicants should submit their resume and a letter addressing how they meet the Search Committee’s preferred qualifications.
 
NOMINATIONS:  Nominators should send a letter of nomination, and, if possible, the nominee’s resume.

Applications and nominations should be sent electronically to: CUNY GCVCLA at executivesearch@cuny.edu.

For Additional Information:  Please visit the CUNY Office of Legal Affairs at http://www2.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/legal-affairs/ or contact Ms. Mahlet Tsegaye, executivesearch@cuny.edu; Office of Executive Search/CUNY - 205 East 42nd Street, 11th floor, New York, NY  10017.
 
All inquiries, nominations and applications will be held in the strictest confidence.
 
CUNY is an EEO/AA/IRCA/ADA Employer