Higher Ed Law Fellow

Department: University Counsel

Classification: Professional Faculty

Job Category: Administrative or Professional Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Restricted: Yes

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

The Office of University Counsel provides legal advice and counsel on a broad spectrum of legal issues that arise in the operation of the University to the Board of Visitors, the President, and faculty/staff acting on behalf of George Mason University.

About the Position:

The Office of University Counsel’s Higher Education Law Fellowship program provides a unique opportunity for Law Fellows to gain experience in higher education law. This fellowship position offers broad exposure to the vast array of matters that counsel at a large, public research university might encounter. As determined by the office workload, the Law Fellow assists in matters ranging from research, writing and other projects in any substantive subject matter areas handled by the office, including those related to employment, faculty, students, research, governance, contracts, compliance, intellectual property, constitutional law, Title IX and civil rights, health care, litigation, government relations, regulatory matters and others. The Law Fellow receives assignments from and works under the supervision mentorship of the attorneys in the Office of University Counsel. The Office will provide opportunities for the Law Fellow to attend meetings, meet with clients, or otherwise participate in the full range of legal activities of the Office and the University. This Fellowship is an excellent opportunity for individuals with an interest in higher education law or the wide-ranging role of in-house counsel advising public institutions and entities. The position is a one-year appointment, which may be renewed for a second year based on performance.

Responsibilities:

• Conducts legal research on a range of topics including analyzing, summarizing, and reporting on such research;
• Drafts and edits legal documents including memoranda, correspondence, contracts, briefs and pleadings, and other litigation related documents for court and administrative agency matters;
• Reviews documents for compliance with state and federal laws as well as University polices and regulations;
• Participates in regular weekly staff meetings and in meetings involving University clients; and
• Performs other related duties as assigned incidental to the work described herein. 

Required Qualifications:

• Terminal degree in a related field;
• Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited law school;
• Excellent legal research and writing skills;
• Ability to analyze, summarize and report on research;
• Ability to draft and edit legal documents and review documents for compliance with applicable policies, regulations, state and federal laws;
• An interest in higher education;
• The ability to work effectively and cooperatively with attorneys and other university constituents while working on multiple projects concurrently; and
• Possesses a license to practice law or plan to sit for a state bar exam in summer before commencement of the Fellowship.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with Virginia law and Virginia Bar is strongly preferred.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Higher Ed Law Fellow at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a Cover Letter/Letter of Intent, Resume and a Writing Sample/Portfolio for review. 

Posting Open Date: December 16, 2024

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  January 3, 2025

Open Until Filled:  Yes