University Counsel

The University Counsel III – Athletics and Institutional Transactions is a senior attorney in the USC Office of the General Counsel (OGC) and reports to the Deputy General Counsel, Corporate. As a member of OGC's transactional practice, the attorney provides strategic, practical, and business-oriented legal counsel to university leadership on sophisticated commercial transactions, institutional initiatives, and operational matters.

The attorney serves as OGC's lead counsel on college Athletics-related legal matters while maintaining a diverse institutional transactional practice supporting academic schools, research units, and administrative departments across the university. The successful candidate will have substantial experience serving as in-house counsel in higher education or a similarly complex organization and will possess exceptional judgment, strong transactional skills, client-oriented service and communication, and the ability to provide practical legal advice to multiple institutional clients. Experience supporting research institutions, compliance, and research-related transactions is highly desirable but is not required.

Primary Responsibilities

The University Counsel III is expected to:

• Serve as the Office of the General Counsel's lead attorney on Athletics-related legal matters, providing strategic legal counsel on commercial transactions, sponsorships, licensing, media and marketing agreements, employment contracts, games and events contracts, NIL-related institutional issues, conference matters, athletics operations, vendor relationships, facility use agreements, strategic partnerships, and other legal and business matters affecting the Athletics Department.

• Draft, negotiate, interpret, and advise on a broad range of sophisticated commercial and institutional agreements, including services agreements, procurement contracts, sponsorship agreements, licensing agreements, technology agreements, consulting agreements, confidentiality agreements, research agreements, memoranda of understanding, affiliation agreements, and other contracts supporting the university's academic, business, and operational objectives.

• Provide transactional legal support to the Office of Research and Innovation, including the Department of Contracts and Grants (DCG), the USC Stevens Center for Innovation, the Alfred E. Mann Institute (AMI), the Department of Animal Resources, and matters involving visiting researchers, and other research-related activities. Advise on sponsored research agreements, industry collaborations, technology commercialization, research compliance, export controls, conflicts of interest, Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), and related legal matters.

• Provide legal counsel to leadership of the university's health schools, including the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, Keck School of Medicine, Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy, and the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, on transactional, operational, and institutional matters.

• Advise university departments and administrative units, including the Alumni Association, USC Museums, USC Shoah Foundation, Communications, USC Radio, Internal Audit, Information Technology Services (ITS), the Office of the Chief Information Security Officer (OCISO), the Marching Band, Global Initiatives (including immigration-related matters), the Office of Professionalism and Ethics (OPE), Bovard College and Online Education, and University Relations.

• Support major university initiatives and strategic partnerships by collaborating with university leadership and administrative partners to identify legal and business risks, develop practical solutions, and facilitate successful implementation.

• Draft and revise university policies, standard agreement templates, and guidance documents related to contracting, procurement, Athletics, and institutional operations.

• Coordinate with outside counsel on specialized transactional and regulatory matters, as appropriate, and manage outside counsel relationships and budgets.

• Develop and deliver legal training, educational resources, and consultation sessions on contracting, negotiation, Athletics-related legal developments, procurement, research transactions, compliance, and other transactional topics.

• Build collaborative relationships with university leaders, administrators, faculty, and staff across the institution and serve as a trusted legal advisor who encourages the proactive engagement of the Office of the General Counsel.

• Perform special projects and other legal assignments as requested.

Preferred Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) and membership in the California Bar (or eligibility to register as California Registered In-House Counsel).

• Ten or more years of progressively responsible legal experience, including substantial experience negotiating and advising on sophisticated commercial and institutional transactions.

• Significant experience serving as in-house counsel within the legal office of a college, university, academic medical center, or similarly complex institution is strongly preferred. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated success advising senior administrators and diverse institutional clients while navigating the governance, culture, and operational environment unique to higher education.

• Demonstrated experience advising on athletics-related legal matters, including commercial partnerships, sponsorships, licensing, branding, media rights, vendor agreements, athletics operations, or other sports-related transactions. Experience representing Division I NCAA institutions, collegiate athletics programs, conferences, or professional sports organizations is highly desirable.

• Experience supporting sponsored research, research contracting, technology commercialization, innovation initiatives, or research compliance is strongly preferred but not required.

• Familiarity with the legal and regulatory framework governing institutions of higher education, including laws affecting commercial contracting, procurement, intellectual property, privacy, athletics, research, and university operations.

• Demonstrated ability to independently manage a sophisticated, high-volume transactional practice while balancing competing priorities and exercising sound legal and business judgment.

• Excellent negotiation, drafting, written and oral communication, relationship management, and project management skills, with the ability to provide practical, solution-oriented legal advice to senior leadership and clients across a decentralized organization.

• Exceptional interpersonal skills, sound judgment, discretion, and the ability to build trusted relationships while effectively representing the interests of the Office of the General Counsel and the university.

This position's annual base salary range is $225,000 - $250,000. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, essential skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

Minimum Education: J.D.
Minimum Experience: 7 years
Minimum Field of Expertise: J.D. and member of California Bar. General business law with extensive litigation experience.

USC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy. USC observes affirmative action obligations consistent with state and federal law. USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal records in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and with due consideration for patient and student safety. Please refer to theBackground Screening Policy Appendix Dfor specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying. 

We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at (213) 821-8100, or by email at [email protected]. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

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