Western Governors University

Senior Staff Attorney

Western Governors University$123K — $190K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Juris Doctorate degree from an ABA-accredited law school.
  • 3+ years of experience in active legal practice or relevant fields.
  • Licensed to practice law in Utah or admissible within one year.
  • In-house counsel experience (preferred).
  • Experience in higher education or nonprofit organizations (preferred).

Responsibilities

  • Assist senior attorneys with research and analysis on various legal issues.
  • Draft, review, and negotiate contracts for business transactions.
  • Facilitate and manage contract enforcement activities.
  • Engage with University leaders to address risks under senior attorneys' supervision.
  • Evaluate and respond to potential legal claims with guidance from senior attorneys.
  • Respond promptly to legal inquiries.
  • Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, vision, and telehealth coverage.
  • Flexible paid time off and sick time with no accrual required.
  • 11 paid holidays and additional paid leaves including parental leave.
  • Retirement savings plan and wellbeing program.
  • Discounted tuition at WGU and various insurance coverages.
Full Job Description
Job Description

The Senior Staff Attorney will provide a wide range of legal services to a large, technically adept conglomerate of nonprofit entities. The Senior Staff Attorney will manage multiple matters concurrently and work with university leaders to support the University's mission to improve quality and expand access to post-secondary educational opportunities.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:
  • Assists senior attorneys in the Office of General Counsel (OGC) with research and analysis on a wide variety of legal issues including intellectual property, student affairs, privacy, employment, regulatory compliance, and other issues impacting the University.
  • Drafts, reviews, and negotiates contracts for a variety of business transactions to align with university standards and business goals.
  • Facilitates and manages contract enforcement activities.
  • Engages with University leaders to identify and address risk under the supervision of senior attorneys.
  • Evaluates and responds to potential legal claims under the supervision of senior attorneys.
  • Responds timely to all inquiries.
  • Performs other job-related duties as assigned.


Job Description Disclaimer: This position description provides the major duties/responsibilities, requirements and working conditions for the position. It is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current position, however management reserves the right to revise or change as necessary to meet organizational needs. Other responsibilities may be assigned when circumstances require.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
  • Sound independent judgment and professional integrity.
  • Prompt and effective research, analytical, and writing skills.
  • Ability to build relationships and influence within the OGC and the University.
  • Ability to accurately prioritize and respond to issues and requests.
  • Ability to identify solutions that combine legal considerations with institutional needs.
  • Ability to think creatively and offer informed opinions.
  • Prompt development of knowledge in a wide range of legal areas.
  • Ability to monitor and resolve multiple, concurrent matters.
  • Understanding of federal higher education policy and industry trends
  • Broad educational and professional interests illustrating a desire to learn.


Job Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:
  • Juris Doctorate degree from an ABA-accredited law school.
  • 3+ years' experience in active legal practice or other related experience or a combination of related learning and experience.
  • Licensed and in good standing to practice law in Utah, or admissible at the earliest opportunity, and no later than one year from the position start date.


Preferred Qualifications:
  • In-house counsel experience
  • Experience in higher education or nonprofit organizations.


Travel:

This position requires occasional travel of up to 20%, including required attendance at designated company summits (typically one to two per year). Additional travel may include conferences, visits to company locations, and other business-related events as needed. Additional travel may be assigned as needed to support business requirements.

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Position & Application Details

Full-Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours): This is a full-time, regular position (classified for 40 standard weekly hours) that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.

How to Apply: If interested, an application will need to be submitted online. Internal WGU employees will need to apply through the internal job board in Workday.

Additional Information

Disclaimer: The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It's not all-inclusive.

About Western Governors University

Western Governors University (WGU) is a private, nonprofit online university based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The university was founded by 19 U.S. governors in 1997 with a mission to expand access to higher education. WGU offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in business, information technology, education, and healthcare. The university is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and has been recognized by the White House as an example of excellence in education innovation. WGU has a competency-based learning model, which allows students to progress through their coursework at their own pace based on their mastery of the material.
Learn more about Western Governors University
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5,000 employees
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