General Counsel

Franklin & Marshall College invites nominations and applications for the position of General Counsel. Reporting to President Barbara Altmann, the General Counsel (GC) provides legal and strategic advice to Franklin & Marshall’s Board of Trustees, President, and the College community in support of the educational mission of the institution.

Founded in 1787, Franklin & Marshall (F&M) is a highly selective private liberal arts college that prizes its diverse and collaborative faculty and student communities centered on small class sizes and faculty-student research. The College’s mission is to help students develop their passion – including their intellectual, creative, and leadership talents – so that they may live fulfilling lives and contribute meaningfully to their occupations, their communities, and their world. F&M is proud of its nationally recognized talent strategy to build a dynamic student body as well as its College House system, which blends residential community, intellectual exploration, and student self-governance. The College enrolls roughly 2,200 students from the U.S. and around the world. F&M’s faculty are exceptional teachers and active scholars, offering a curriculum that spans the arts and sciences. The College’s operating budget for fiscal year 2022 is approximately $130 million, and its pooled endowment is valued at more than $400 million. Franklin & Marshall is located on 247 beautiful acres in Lancaster, PA, a diverse and progressive metropolitan area of approximately 500,000, with a lively arts culture, historic downtown, and easy access to Philadelphia, Baltimore, New York City, and Washington, DC.

Within a broad scope of responsibility, the GC will advise College officers on governance and corporate matters, labor and employment, employee benefits, student conduct, free speech, real estate development, contract matters, charitable giving, and litigation. The GC will be the primary liaison with the College’s external legal counsel, with whom the College consults, and with any firms retained for legal actions and other special projects. Additionally, the GC will represent Franklin & Marshall College in all legal forums and will be responsible for ensuring that internal policies and procedures are in compliance with federal and state laws and regulations. Among other critical responsibilities, the GC will:

• Complete an audit of policies and practices at the College to identify gaps and areas where legal attention and counsel would be most beneficial;
• Serve as a resource to highlight aspects of the College’s work with legal implications, creating a culture that understands when to engage counsel; and
• Improve the College’s management of risk.

This comprehensive scope of engagement will bring Franklin & Marshall’s General Counsel into virtually every area of the College’s activities and require them to build trusting, effective collaborations across campus, the Lancaster community, and beyond.

Franklin & Marshall is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse community and promotes the full participation and inclusion of all its members. Grounded in the belief that diversity challenges assumptions, opens minds, and unlocks our collective potential to solve any problem, the General Counsel will share the College’s mission to create and sustain a campus community that welcomes, understands, supports, and celebrates diversity of all kinds, including race and ethnicity, gender and sexual identity, regional and national origin, socioeconomic status, religious beliefs, different learning styles and abilities, and more.

The ideal candidate will have at least 10 years’ experience as a practicing attorney in a variety of legal areas, with preference for experience in higher education law and/or related fields of employment. Candidates should have a J.D. from an accredited law school, superior academic credentials, and a strong belief in the educational values and goals of F&M’s residential liberal arts program. Admission to the bar in Pennsylvania, or the ability to gain admission within one year of hire, is required.

For best consideration, please send all nominations and applications to:

Shelly Weiss Storbeck, Global Education Practice Lead and Managing Director

Carly Rose DiGiovanni, Senior Associate

Abby Kallin, Associate

FandMGeneralCounsel@storbecksearch.com

For more information, please visit Franklin & Marshall College’s home page at https://www.fandm.edu/.

Franklin & Marshall College is committed to having an inclusive campus community where all members are treated with dignity and respect. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, the College does not discriminate in its hiring or employment practices on the basis of gender/gender-identity, sex, race or ethnicity, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, veteran's status, genetic information, family or marital status, sexual orientation, or any other protected class.

Individuals who need an accommodation due to a disability in order to submit an application or attend an employment interview should contact Human Resources at (717) 358-3995.

Franklin & Marshall is proud to offer a smoke-free work environment.