Assistant General Counsel

About This Role

This professional-level legal position provides hands-on counsel to the executive staff of the Office of the Illinois State Treasurer. The role involves identifying and analyzing legal issues, drafting documents, presenting recommendations to management, and ensuring legal compliance.

Responsibilities

• Work on an assigned portfolio of legal matters
• Draft, analyze, and provide legal advice regarding proposed and existing laws and administrative rules impacting the Office
• Draft, analyze, and review a broad range of transactional agreements including general services, technology, research, and supply contracts
• Draft, analyze, and review solicitation documents, such as Requests for Proposals
• Conduct legal research concerning various Office programs and initiatives, including statutory obligations, rights, duties, and recourse
• Provide pragmatic, focused legal counsel on legislative matters, interpretation of contracts, and application of laws, rules, and policies
• Attend committee or board meetings to answer technical and legal questions and ensure compliance with Open Meetings and Freedom of Information Acts
• Provide management and oversight of on-going litigation matters, reviewing briefs, pleadings, and working with other legal counsel
• Respond to matters brought to the legal department and pro-actively identify legal vulnerabilities, offering preventative guidance
• Provide immediate legal guidance in high-level policy development and discussion

Requirements

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school
• Admitted and in good standing to practice law in the State of Illinois
• 10+ years of experience practicing law (preferred)
• 10+ years of relevant work experience including legal counsel in a government agency or in-house setting or extensive experience with litigation and administrative law
• Consistent exercise of independent judgment and discretion in matters of significance
• Excellent negotiating, drafting, problem solving, and communications skills
• Understanding of risk assessment and analysis within the context of the Office
• Ability to work and communicate effectively with executive staff and all other levels of personnel and the general public
• Experience providing legal counsel in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to simultaneously manage multiple projects and meet deadlines with high-quality work product
• Expertise in overseeing an entity’s litigation matters or substantial litigation experience as outside counsel
• Exemplary written skills
• Excellent human relations skills
• Extremely strong verbal communication skills
• Strong attention to detail
• Demonstrated ability to plan effectively
• Ability to maintain satisfactory working relationships

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school
• 10+ years of experience practicing law preferred; 10+ years of relevant work experience, including legal counsel in a government agency or in-house setting or extensive litigation and administrative law experience

Nice to Have

• Experience in finance