General Counsel

Job Summary

The General Counsel serves as chief legal officer for the University. This position provides oversight and management to the Office of the General Counsel to ensure that the objectives are accomplished in a manner consistent with the law. The General Counsel serves as a member of the Executive Committee and a strategic, business-oriented partner to the President and senior leadership, advancing the University’s mission and institutional priorities, including innovation, research commercialization, complex transactions, real estate, and public-private partnerships, while identifying practical, risk‑managed paths to accomplish them.

Duties include the following:

• Consistently and proactively briefs the President, the Board of Trustees, and the Board Chair on governance and on legal and regulatory compliance, including the President’s and the Board’s respective duties, delegations of authority, and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements; and regularly reviews, assesses, and reports on the University’s adherence to these governance and compliance obligations.
• Provides or coordinates the provision of all legal advice, counsel and representation necessary and desirable to serve the University and to promote sound decision‑making in areas of operation, research, and administration, including representing the University, and its employees in legal and administrative forums. Advises and counsels University administrators regarding accurate application of laws, rules, and regulations.
• Determines the legal sufficiency of all hearings and investigations to which the University, as a legal entity, is a party.
• Formulates and reviews policies, rules, practices, programs, and procedures for students, faculty, staff, and other persons doing business with, or participating in the programs and activities of the University. Provides policy direction in legal matters. Reviews and approves the legal sufficiency of official University policies and of University Board of Trustees and Florida Board of Governors regulations, and maintains a coordinated, University‑wide process for the legal review, approval, and publication of policies and regulations.
• Ensures that intellectual property resulting from research is effectively protected through patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, and software and data rights, and that such property is appropriately licensed and commercialized; including through technology transfer, startups and spinouts, industry‑sponsored research, and strategic partnerships to ensure its diligent development. Oversees the legal aspects of the University’s technology transfer and innovation activities.
• Negotiates, prepares, reviews, and approves routine and/or complex contracts and other legal instruments to which the University is party, including complex commercial transactions, real estate acquisitions, leases and development, financings, and public‑private partnerships (P3s). Acts as an agent for the University in various transactions. Approaches such transactions as an enabler of institutional priorities, structuring deals to advance the University’s strategic and business objectives while protecting its legal interests.
• Develops, oversees, and advises on the University’s governance of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, in coordination with the President’s office, Provost, CFO, Chief AI and Innovation Officer, research leadership, and compliance; including policy development, procurement and contracting standards, data governance, algorithmic accountability, and monitoring of evolving federal and state law.
• Provides legal oversight of data privacy, information security, and cybersecurity matters, including compliance with applicable privacy laws, incident and breach response, vendor and data‑sharing agreements, and protection of student, research, and institutional data.
• Advises the University on First Amendment, free expression, and academic freedom matters, including speech and assembly on campus, expressive‑activity policies, faculty and student rights, and related state and federal requirements applicable to a public university.
• Provides legal support for the University’s enterprise‑wide compliance and ethics program and coordinates closely with the Chief Compliance Officer to ensure an integrated, well‑managed approach to institutional risk, regulatory compliance, and ethical conduct across key domains including Title IX, the Clery Act, FERPA and HIPAA, research integrity and export controls, conflicts of interest, and anti‑discrimination requirements.
• Coordinates the provision of legal services to the University and oversees the selection, retention, management, evaluation of all outside counsel, ensuring efficient and cost‑effective delivery of legal services.
• Serves as a principal legal advisor to the University’s Board of Trustees and supports the University’s relationship with the Florida Board of Governors; advises the Board and its committees on governance, fiduciary duties, conflicts of interest, parliamentary and procedural matters, and compliance with applicable law, including the Board’s obligations under Florida’s public‑records and open‑meetings (Sunshine) laws. Works in close coordination with the Corporate Secretary and the Board Office within the Office of the President, which maintain the official records of, and administer the proceedings of, the Board. Attends meetings of the Board and its committees as legal advisor.
• Oversees the University’s compliance with Florida’s public‑records and open‑meetings (Sunshine) laws, including managing responses to public‑records requests and subpoenas, advising the Board and administration on transparency and meeting requirements, and coordinating litigation holds and e‑discovery.
  Provides legal counsel on employment and labor matters, including faculty and staff personnel actions, tenure and promotion, collective bargaining and union relations, workplace and civil‑rights investigations, accommodations, and equal‑opportunity compliance.
• Provides or coordinates legal support for the University’s health sciences enterprise, including the colleges of medicine and nursing and health sciences, clinical operations and affiliations, faculty practice, medical malpractice and clinical risk, and HIPAA and health‑information privacy.
• Represents the University in a variety of forums, including administrative hearings, arbitrations, conferences, and formal and informal deliberations. Manages and directs the University’s litigation and pre‑litigation matters, representing or overseeing representation of the University and its officers and employees in civil litigation, administrative and regulatory proceedings, arbitrations, investigations, and government inquiries, and provides periodic reports to the President and Board on significant and high‑risk matters.
• Provides legal oversight and counsel for university‑wide programs associated with Environmental Health & Safety. Advises, in a legal advisory and non‑operational capacity, on policy development, regulatory compliance, and long‑range planning for this area.
• Provides legal oversight and counsel for university‑wide programs associated with NCAA Compliance. Advises, in a legal advisory and non‑operational capacity, on policy development, compliance, and long‑range planning for this area. Advises on the rapidly evolving intercollegiate athletics legal landscape, including name, image, and likeness (NIL), revenue sharing and the House v. NCAA settlement, athlete eligibility, transfer, and welfare matters, Title IX as applied to athletics, and related NCAA, conference, state, and federal requirements.
• Performs other duties and responsibilities as required or deemed appropriate to the accomplishment of the responsibilities and functions of the legal area.

Job Category
Administrative

Advertised Salary
Salary will be commensurate with education and experience.

Minimum Qualifications

Law degree (L.L.B. or J.D.) and licensed to practice law with a minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible legal experience as a practicing attorney, including substantial experience in private practice at a nationally recognized law firm and/or as in‑house counsel within a corporation or other complex enterprise. Meaningful experience advising in higher education or another highly regulated, public‑facing environment as is demonstrated experience managing, directing and coordinating the workload and work product of other attorneys, including outside counsel.

Must be a member of the Florida Bar or become a member within twelve months of employment.

Desired Qualifications

Law degree (L.L.B. or J.D.) and seven to ten years experience practicing law. Five of those years in Higher Education.

Licensed to practice law in the State of Florida or become a member of the Florida Bar within twelve months of employment.

Significant experience in private practice at a major law firm and/or as in‑house counsel within corporate America is strongly preferred, in addition to experience in higher education or the public sector.

Demonstrated, business‑oriented subject‑matter depth in one or more of the following is highly desirable: artificial intelligence governance and emerging technology; data privacy and cybersecurity; intellectual property, technology transfer, and research commercialization; complex commercial transactions, real estate, and public‑private partnerships (P3s); First Amendment, free expression, and academic freedom; litigation and dispute management; university governance and governing‑board advising; labor, employment, and faculty affairs; health sciences and academic medical center matters; and institutional and regulatory compliance.

Working knowledge of the legal issues facing a major research university, including artificial intelligence and emerging technology, data privacy and cybersecurity, intellectual property and technology transfer, First Amendment and free expression matters, athletics/NCAA compliance, and complex transactions such as real estate and public‑private partnerships.

Business‑minded, solutions‑oriented judgment that enables and appropriately structures institutional initiatives and transactions while managing legal risk.