Senior System Legal Counsel

This position is a professional academic staff position under the supervision of the Deputy General Counsel. The position involves rendering oral and written advice on legal matters to officers and employees of the UW System. The position requires the ability to exercise independent judgment and professional discretion in the identification, management, and resolution of legal issues. The position further requires the ability to analyze legal problems, conduct legal research, and make written and oral presentations before various UW System constituents, governmental agencies, and various outside organizations. Qualified individuals will possess the skills to work collegially with a team of attorneys and other professionals.

• Provide legal advice and assistance to UW System officers and employees on the interpretation and implementation of constitutional, statutory, and administrative rule requirements, as requested or assigned by the General Counsel.

• Provide legal representation before federal and state administrative agencies, and internal proceedings, in matters involving federal financial assistance (e.g., grants, cooperative agreements), state and federal privacy law, personnel, and labor issues and advise clients regarding these subject areas.

• Provide legal counsel to faculty and academic staff committees and other internal committees, as assigned by the General Counsel.

• Assist in the investigation and preparation of litigation matters in cooperation with the Attorney General's office, as assigned by the General Counsel.

• Provide formal and informal educational sessions on legal issues relevant to higher education for a variety of UW System professionals.

The Office of General Counsel provides comprehensive legal services to the Universities of Wisconsin, including advice on a wide variety of legal matters such as personnel issues, student affairs, public records and open meetings, real estate, risk management, and immigration, among others. OGC also reviews and drafts policies; reviews, drafts, and negotiates contracts; represents UW institutions in administrative hearings; and acts as a liaison with the Wisconsin Department of Justice for litigation filed in court. An emphasis on proactive and preventive law is foremost, and OGC attorneys provide training on legal issues to administrators and staff throughout the state.

Work Location
The office location is located at Van Hise Hall, 1220 Linden Ave., Madison, WI 53706.   The work schedule will be consistent with the current UW System Administration’s work schedule policy, which generally includes four days per week in-office schedule and one day remote. Any exceptions to this requirement will require to prior written approval.

The Senior System Legal Counsel (job profile: Attorney III (Inst)) is a full-time, salaried, exempt, academic staff position.  Well-qualified candidates can expect a starting annual salary within a range of $135,000. – 155,000. commensurate with the candidate’s education, related experience, and qualifications.

To be considered for this position, a candidate must have:

• Juris Doctorate (JD) from an A.B.A. accredited law school.

• Licensure in good standing or eligibility for licensure to practice law in the State of Wisconsin by date of appointment.

• Superior communication and legal research skills and the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

• Experience with personal computers, including word processing and communication software application programs, and legal research databases.

• Ability to work cooperatively with other System attorneys and university professionals.

• Willingness to travel in-state and out-of-state, as necessary.

• Ten years of experience advising higher education institutions or prior legal experience in areas relevant to higher education.

• Familiarity with federal financial assistance (e.g., grants, cooperative agreements), federal research, and state and federal privacy law issues.

• Demonstrated experience in one or more of the following legal practice areas: federal financial assistance (e.g., grants, cooperative agreements), federal research, managing federal litigation, information technology and security, immigration, import and export control, federal rulemaking.

Applicant screening will begin immediately and be ongoing through May 17, 2026. However, applications may be accepted until the position has been filled. To receive full consideration, interested applicants are required to apply online and provide a Resume (PDF Format) and Cover letter addressing your experience and education as it applies to all minimum and preferred qualifications (PDF Format).

Questions may be addressed to [email protected].

If you need to request an accommodation because of a disability, you can find information about how to make a request by contacting [email protected]. 

This offer of employment is conditional pending the results of a criminal background check and a reference check process that includes questions regarding employee misconduct, sexual violence, and sexual harassment. If you have prior work history within the past 7 years with the Universities of Wisconsin, your personnel file will also be reviewed for employee misconduct. If the results are unacceptable, the offer will be withdrawn or, if you have started employment, your employment will be terminated.

Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e., a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without the need of employer sponsorship) on, before, or after the effective date of appointment.   

The Universities of Wisconsin will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. §. 19.36(7). 

Universities of Wisconsin employees receive an excellent benefits package. To learn more about the benefits package, review the Faculty, Academic Staff & Limited Appointees  or University Staff   Please see this link for total compensation information: Universities of Wisconsin Health & Retirement Contributions Estimator to provide you with total compensation information. 

The Universities of Wisconsin provides statistics on campus crime in its Annual Security Report.  For more information on university campus statistics see https://www.wisconsin.edu/compliance/clery/.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other bases protected by applicable federal or State law and UW System policies. We are committed to building a workforce that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills, and encourage all qualified individuals to apply.