Associate General Counsel

Overview

LSAC’s mission is to advance law and justice by promoting access, equity, and fairness in law school admission, to broaden the pathway into legal education, and to support law schools, law students, and the legal education community.

Pay rate: $160,000 to $175,000, depending on experience

This is a hybrid position. 

The Associate General Counsel will assist the VP of Legal and Corporate Affairs and General Counsel (General Counsel) and the Office of General Counsel (OGC) in a wide variety of legal matters in support of the Legal Affairs function within the organization.

Responsibilities

Essential Job Functions

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position. The individual employed in this position will be required to/responsible for:

• Provide exceptional legal advice and counseling to support LSAC’s departments, dynamic business operations and product development initiatives.
• Draft, review, and negotiate contracts and other legal documents, including a high volume of commercial contracts (e.g., NDAs, MSAs/PSAs, License Agreements, SaaS agreements, marketing agreements, research agreements, service agreements (where LSAC is operating as the consultant), independent contractor, business, data sharing agreements, hotel agreements, and grant agreements).
• Evaluate third-party provisions for risk, identify potential liabilities, and recommend alternative language.
• Provide actionable legal advice to departments to facilitate business transactions.
• Ensure all contracts comply with applicable laws, regulations, and corporate policies.
• Streamline contract administration processes and manage the contract lifecycle.
• Assist General Counsel or his/her designee in the development, drafting, reviewing and implementation of organization policies and procedures (e.g., corporate, employment, compliance, data governance, use of generative artificial intelligence, accessibility, non-profit governance).
• Provide training and guidance to employees on legal topics relevant to their roles.
• Assist with commercial transactions, intellectual property matters, compliance issues, disputes, and other legal needs under the direction of the General Counsel or his/her designee.
• Provide day-to-day advice and matter management in support of the organization.
• Support the General Counsel or his/her designee in administering and operating the vendor due diligence program, policy and procedures.
• Assist the General Counsel in preparing for Board and Committee meetings, presentations, communications and departmental initiatives.
• Assist the General Counsel or his/her designee by supporting candidate and member-facing departments, working closely with the departments on operational matters, policies and procedures, resolution of  complaints and concerns, internal and external communications, and day-to-day matters.
• Provide support for Misconduct and Irregularities matters for LSAC.
• Assist the General Counsel or his/her designee in managing LSAC’s intellectual property portfolio, compliance, and enforcement, including enforcement of licensing agreements, copyrights, and trademarks, with a focus on litigation and enforcement of intellectual property rights.
• Assist the General Counsel or his/her designee in a wide variety of other legal matters including, but not limited to, legal research and writing, document organization and production, policy and procedure development and updating, project management, OGC-sponsored projects and initiatives, and litigation support.
• Collaborate across all operational areas at the organization to solve problems proactively.
• Perform such other duties as requested.  ​

Competencies

• Excellent written and verbal communication, critical thinking, and strategic negotiation skills.
• Strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability prioritize and manage competing and multiple priorities and projects simultaneously with calm demeaner and sound judgment are crucial.
• Has ability to analyze complex legal issues and provide recommendations for well-reasoned, practical solutions and alternatives.
• Works effectively, patiently, and courteously within a fast-paced and highly collaborative legal and corporate office.
• Holds a strong sense of accountability for both individual and team objectives, service oriented.
• Has strong organizational skills and the ability to multi-task and manage numerous projects simultaneously.
• Ability to successfully establish and nurture cooperative working relationships with colleagues across the organization.
• Embraces a forward-thinking mindset, contributing to a culture of continuous improvement and creativity.
• Demonstrates expert knowledge across multiple disciplines in the handling of complex legal matters to mitigate risk to the organization, including, but not limited to, contract drafting and review, non-profit/corporate governance and legal compliance.
• Possess exceptional work ethic and enthusiasm for taking on a wide range of projects and responsibilities.
• Has willingness and ability to utilize technology and follow procedures with respect to document creation, document tracking, and document storage.
• Poised and able to act calmly and competently in high-pressure, high stress situations.
• Possess high level of personal integrity, good judgment, and maturity.
• Handles proprietary and confidential information with exceptional discretion.
• Possess a good sense of humor and healthy dose of humility.

Qualifications

Education and Experience

• Juris Doctorate degree from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Licensed in good standing to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or eligible for reciprocity on the date hired.
• Minimum of 7 years of relevant general corporate, higher education, or in-house legal department or large firm practice.
• Familiarity with corporate policy making (preferred).
• Familiarity with data privacy, intellectual property rights, cybersecurity laws and regulations and legal issues related to emerging technology, including, but not limited to, artificial intelligence (preferred).
• Familiarity and understanding of legal requirements and trends related to non-profit governance (preferred).
• Knowledge of  web accessibility standards and best practices (preferred).

Supervisory Responsibilities

This role does not have direct management responsibilities.

Position Type

The LSAC standard business hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. ET. While these are the standard office hours for LSAC, as an exempt employee, the employee will be expected to work the hours necessary to satisfactorily complete their assignments in a responsible and professional manner

Work Environment

This job operates in a remote and professional office environment. Whether remote or in-office, this role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, fax machines, and filing cabinets.

Travel Requirements

Occasional travel is expected for this position.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee must regularly write, read, and communicate effectively.

Additional Information:

Please note that this job description may not contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Job responsibilities may change at any time with or without notice.

Except as otherwise provided by law, all terms of employment are subject on an at-will basis and can change at any time.

At LSAC we foster a culture based on our stated values and actively seek to broaden our pipeline of current and future leaders. We are committed to attracting, retaining, and developing individuals who have a passion for the work they do and the mission of LSAC. We encourage all qualified individuals to apply. We recognize that experience comes from a variety of places and know that job applicants will possess many, but not necessarily all, of the qualities listed in the job description. While no one candidate will embody every single quality, the successful candidate will exemplify a robust combination of the skills and competencies listed to excel in the position. LSAC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes applications from individuals from all identities and backgrounds.