Associate General Counsel jobs in Syracuse, NY

About The State University of New York and SUNY Upstate Medical University:

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY's 64 colleges and universities. 

SUNY Upstate Medical University, located in Syracuse NY, is 1 of approximately 150 academic medical centers in the United States.  Upstate University operates 4 colleges, including a College of Medicine, 2 hospital campuses with approximately 700 total licensed beds, a Cancer Center and Children’s Hospital, as well as many other satellite patient care facilities throughout CNY.  Upstate operates the only Level 1 trauma center and burn center in the Central New York region.  Upstate is also the largest employer in CNY, employing over 10,000 people.

About the Office of General Counsel:

Under the leadership of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs and General Counsel, the SUNY Office of General Counsel is responsible for providing legal services to the System and the 29 State-operated campuses.  The OGC consists of more than 45 experienced higher education attorneys, paralegals and support staff located in Albany at the System Administration headquarters and in campus-based offices at the four University Centers, Health Science Centers, and various SUNY colleges. 

The legal practice of the OGC involves a substantial array of topics, including public procurement, governance and ethics, legislation, healthcare operations, capital construction, public finance, employment, labor grievances and arbitration, litigation oversight (the State's Attorney General defends litigation brought against the University), student affairs, and the use of real property, among others.  The OGC represents the State University in interactions with State officials who may regulate the affairs of the State University, including the Attorney General, State Comptroller, the Governor and staff, and members of the State Legislature and staff as well as other state and local agencies and entities. 

Job Description:

Upstate University invites applications for the position of Assistant Campus Counsel/Associate Campus Counsel to represent Upstate University in a variety of matters, including labor and employment litigation, non-malpractice patient care issues and related court proceedings. Some of the matters that the attorney will provide assistance with include:

• Disciplinary labor arbitrations;
• Administrative agency proceedings, including at the N.Y.S. Division of Human Rights/U.S. EEOC, U.S./N.Y.S. Departments of Labor, U.S. Dept of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, and other agencies;
• NYS Supreme Court proceedings brought pursuant to CPLR Article 75 and Article 78;
• NY Civil Service Law Section 71, 72, 73 proceedings;
• Respond to medical staff inquiries regarding a variety of non-medical malpractice patient care issues, such as consent for treatment, treatment of minors, patient discharge plans, and other similar inquiries;
• Represent University Hospital in non-medical malpractice court proceedings, such as Treatments Over Objection and Guardianship proceedings;
• Subpoenas and administrative agency document request responses, including non-medical malpractice discovery requests;
• Primary point of contact at Upstate OGC for the Assistant Attorney General assigned to defend University Hospital in medical malpractice cases, conduct case assessments and advise hospital leadership regarding same;
• Perform legal research and preparing legal memoranda;
• Assist in training University leadership, administrators, faculty, and staff on various legal topics; and
• Undertake such other duties as may be assigned.

This position reports directly to the Chief Campus Counsel of SUNY Upstate and indirectly to the SUNY Vice Chancellor of Legal Affairs and General Counsel in Albany, N.Y.  In addition, the Assistant/Associate Campus Counsel interfaces with other OGC colleagues across the SUNY System to coordinate the delivery of excellent legal services, including participation in OGC staff meetings and trainings.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Juris Doctor from an accredited ABA law school (or foreign equivalent degree);
• Admission in good standing with the New York State Bar or eligibility for admission within 6 months of start date;
• 2-3 years practicing as an attorney (Assistant Campus Counsel) or 5 years (Associate Campus Counsel), with at least 1 year of litigation experience in State or Federal Court;
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively in a team environment; and
• Excellent legal analysis, legal writing and editing, and oral advocacy skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in an academic setting or government law office;
• Experience with arbitrations and mediations; and
• Prior experience working within a health care setting or for healthcare clients

Work Days:

Additional Information:

• This position is located in Syracuse, New York. Limited telecommuting may be available. Some travel may be required depending on the needs of clients.
• Management/Confidential appointments work under the leadership and discretion of the appointing authority and are not represented by a union.
• Offer of employment is contingent upon successful completion of a pre-employment background check and verification of degree(s) and credentials.

Salary is dependent on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, experience, education, training, and certifications.

Excellent Benefit Package which includes: NYS health insurance, free dental and vision coverage, competitive retirement options, tuition assistance, parental leave at full pay, and generous vacation, sick, and holiday time.

Recruitment Office: Human Resources

Executive Order:

Pursuant to Executive Order 161, no State entity, as defined by the Executive Order, is permitted to ask, or mandate, in any form, that an applicant for employment provide his or her current compensation, or any prior compensation history, until such time as the applicant is extended a conditional offer of employment with compensation. If such information has been requested from you before such time, please contact the Governor's Office of Employee Relations at (518) 474-6988 or via email at info@goer.ny.gov.