Assistant General Counsel

Swarthmore College is a highly selective liberal arts college located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, whose mission combines academic rigor with social responsibility. Swarthmore has a strong institutional commitment to inclusive excellence and nondiscrimination in its educational program and employment practices and encourages candidates who will further advance the goal of fostering a diverse and inclusive community. As one of the nation’s finest institutions of higher learning, Swarthmore College is global in outlook and draws students from around the nation and world. The 425‐acre campus is a designated arboretum, complete with gardens, rolling lawns, a creek, wooded hills, and hiking trails in the Crum Woods.

Who We Are:

The Office of General Counsel (OGC) manages the general legal affairs of the College in alignment with the College’s mission and values, and is committed to providing competent legal counsel with the highest degree of ethics and integrity. The OGC also oversees the College’s institutional risk management review process.

The opportunity:

Reporting to the General Counsel, the Assistant General Counsel (AGC) supports a wide breadth of legal issues affecting the College’s business and activities as assigned. The AGC will provide professional legal advice and expertise to the College community, while maintaining a willingness to learn and investigate emerging legal topics. Some of the AGC’s key responsibilities include:

• Advising on internal resolution processes and investigations involving civil rights, equitable access, compliance and other policy issues. The AGC will assist the General Counsel and other community partners (e.g. Human Resources, The Provost’s office, Campus Safety, Title IX Coordinator, Student Conduct) by securing external investigators.
• Reviewing and developing risk management and compliance programs through collaboration with key campus partners in the development and review of College policies.
• Monitoring of relevant legal and regulatory developments and will provide guidance to campus stakeholders on the application to the College’s operations.
• Creating and delivering educational programs for key constituencies on various legal topics including Mandated Reporters Working with Minors Training.

Essential Responsibilities

• Conducts legal research and prepares related memorandum, legal correspondence, and legal documents. Also, may oversee research performed by the Office’s Paralegal and others, including outside counsel.
• Drafts, negotiates, and reviews, legal commitments involving College resources, contracts, affiliation agreements, and settlements of claims.
• Creates educational and informational materials and programs on various legal and risk management topics.
• As directed by the General Counsel, reviews anticipated and pending legal claims and conducts document reviews and interviews as necessary to assist the General Counsel in forming the College’s legal position. With College gatekeepers, coordinates response to subpoenas and records requests.
• Supports the General Counsel with all compliance and institutional risk management reporting to the board’s audit and risk management committee and other committees as needed.
• Assists key College partners in development of the College’s compliance program.
• Performs other duties and responsibilities as required or assigned.

Who you are:

• Ability to develop expanding expertise in an array of legal issues affecting higher education institutions (i.e., higher education, litigation, compliance, employment, intellectual property, property and construction, torts, etc.).
• Excellent problem-solving, facilitative, and dispute resolution skills.
• Experience as a trained and skilled investigator in Title IX, IV, and related civil rights harassment and discrimination matters.
• Experience developing and implementing training development and presentations, as well as experience analyzing data-driven reports.
• Superb interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Ability to build and cultivate positive, effective relationships with diverse College community members. At all times, maintains professionalism and civility as a team leader and member within several diverse groups. Solicits input from community members as appropriate.
• Sound judgment, reasoning, and analytical skills.
• Exhibits maturity, reliability, calming composure, and stability under pressure in order to address intense and fast-paced challenges successfully.
• Must be able to work independently and set and meet priorities with minimal supervision. Excellent project management skills are a must.

What you bring:

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