Administrative Assistant – Litigation

About the Office of General Counsel

The Office of General Counsel (OGC) at Cornell University is a general practice law office that proactively advances the university’s mission by providing timely and trusted legal services and by diligently protecting the university’s resources.  The office acts as the university’s legal advocate in various matters, including litigation, regulatory compliance, and business transactions. 

OGC includes approximately 25 attorneys and ten staff who provide legal services and advice to all Cornell campuses and units in the United States and abroad. The office operates from two locations: the main Cornell campus in Ithaca, New York, and the Weill Cornell Medicine campus in New York City.

OGC attorneys collaborate with campus colleagues across a broad range of disciplines and provide advice and counsel on all legal matters affecting the University.  The office is organized into four main practice groups – Litigation, Administrative Proceedings, and Regulatory Compliance; Research, Technology and Academic Innovation; Business, Charitable Giving, and Transactions; and People and Inclusive Excellence.  The OGC also provides university and departmental trainings and workshops on legal and regulatory matters.  Attorneys write and speak regularly at state and national conferences on higher education law and related matters.

The Opportunity

Are you a motivated self-starter?  Eager to learn?  A successful candidate will be highly organized and technically proficient in office-based and presentation software programs.

The Administrative Assistant will be a key member of the Litigation, Administrative Proceedings, and Regulatory Compliance Practice Group.  Major duties include:

• Providing general administrative support for 3-5 attorneys, including managing calendars, arranging complex meetings and conference calls, proofreading/updating documents.
• Interacting with a wide variety of clients and others in person, on the phone, via email, and video conferencing.
• Coordinating activities, depositions, discovery matters, and meetings.
• Preparing, processing and reviewing legal documents required for court, administrative, and arbitration proceedings (such as pleadings, affidavits, stipulations, orders, briefs, memoranda of law, discovery and subpoena demands and responses).
• Maintaining litigation files and tracking trademark registrations, class actions, affiliation agreements, governmental notices, trademark and copyright claim.
• Managing communications among attorneys and outside law firms, courts, federal, state & municipal offices; arranging meetings including opposing counsel, witnesses and court reporters.
• Conducting background research. 

While position responsibilities vary, every member of our community is expected to foster a culture of belonging and a healthy work environment by communicating across differences; being cooperative, collaborative, open, and welcoming; showing respect, compassion, and empathy; engaging and supporting others regardless of background or perspective; speaking up when others are being excluded or treated inappropriately; and supporting work/life integration of oneself and others.

The core hours of the Office of General Counsel are Monday through Friday, 8:00AM-5:00PM.  The administrative team works together to ensure all hours are covered. This role can typically be performed in a hybrid format of 1 day remote and 4 days on campus. However, in order to ensure mutual success, we’d like for you to be on campus Monday through Friday during the orientation and onboarding period of at least the first 90 days in the role, after which, the hybrid format can be discussed and determined. The OGC site offers free parking to employees as an added bonus.

What we need

• A cover letter and resume outlining your interest and how your experience and goals align with the potential for mutual success in the role are required for consideration.
• Associate’s degree or equivalent, plus a minimum of two to four years of relevant legal or project management experience
• Notary Public certification or become certified within one year of appointment.  

The individual in this position must have sound judgment and reasoning skills, and the ability to handle sensitive and confidential matters.  The person must be adept at multi-tasking and able to synthesize and analyze complex facts.   While paralegal experience or training may be helpful, it is not required.

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