General Counsel and Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs

General Counsel and Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs

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 25 college and school units, over 270,000 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 on legal matters, 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 a variety of matters including:
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 25 colleges and schools with high-quality, actionable and timely policy and legal advice; and 
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 complex organizations, preferably in public institutions or institutions of higher education, with no less than four years in a senior supervisory capacity; 
•    Proven ability to respond quickly to day to day issues often requiring quick thinking while simultaneously working towards long-term strategic goals and priorities of The City University of New York;
•    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 August 16, 2019.

APPLICATIONS:  Applicants should submit a letter of interest, a current CV, and contact information for at least three references. References will not be contacted without candidates’ knowledge.

NOMINATIONS:  Nominators should send a letter of nomination, and, if possible, the nominee’s resume.

Applications and nominations should be sent electronically to: 
executivesearch@cuny.edu with CUNY GCVCLA in the subject line.

For Additional Information:  Please visit https://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 encourages people with disabilities, minorities, veterans and women to apply. At CUNY, Italian Americans are also included among our protected groups.  Applicants and employees will not be discriminated against on the basis of any legally protected category including sexual orientation or gender identity.
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