Associate Counsel

Albert Einstein College of Medicine is seeking a highly motivated and enthusiastic individual for the position of Associate Counsel in the Office of General Counsel. The Associate Counsel provides legal advice and support to Einstein’s leadership, faculty, and staff to further the institution’s mission in education, research, and community service. This role assists with drafting and reviewing contracts, ensuring regulatory compliance, managing institutional risk, and addressing legal issues arising from academic programs, partnerships, and sponsored research activities. This position will report to the Senior Counsel and have a portfolio that focuses primarily in the areas of research agreements and compliance, professional services agreements, intellectual property, procurement, contract review and development, business transactions, faculty and student issues, student privacy issues, disability/accessibility, Board governance, institutional policies, and other areas of higher education law and compliance that may arise and are assigned by the Senior Counsel.

Contract Review & Negotiation

• Draft, review, and negotiate a variety of agreements including:
  • Research and sponsored project agreements (industry, government, foundation, foreign sites, etc).
  • Clinical affiliation and hospital partnership agreements
  • Academic collaborations and MOUs
  • Professional services, vendor, and licensing agreements
• Ensure contract terms align with institutional policies and applicable laws.

Research & Compliance Support

• Advise on federal and state laws governing biomedical and clinical research, including:
  • Human subjects protections (e.g., Common Rule, IRB processes)
  • Animal research compliance (e.g., IACUC)
• Support compliance with NIH, NSF, DOD, FDA and other funding agency requirements.
• Provide guidance on research integrity and responsible conduct of research.

Academic & Student Affairs Legal Guidance

• Provide counsel on policies related to faculty affairs, academic freedom, and tenure.
• Advise on student related matters including admissions, accommodations, FERPA, and discipline.
• Assist in reviewing policies for compliance and applicable higher education laws and accreditation standards.

Institutional Risk Management

• Identify legal risks in operations and recommend mitigation strategies.
• Support compliance with data protections laws
• Advise on insurance, liability, and dispute resolution matters.

Policy Development & Training

• Draft, review, and update institutional policies in collaboration with stakeholders.
• Provide training on legal topics such as contract compliance, records retention, intellectual property, and research ethics.

• J.D. from an accredited law school with a record of strong academic performance.
• Admission to the New York State Bar.
• At least five years of experience practicing law, preferably in a higher education setting or with higher education clients.

Highly Desired Requirements

• Experience in academic medical center or medical school legal affairs.
• Experience with research agreements and compliance, contracts, technology transactions.
• Ability to handle multiple priorities in a collaborative environment.

Skill and Abilities

• Must approach work with a commitment to excellence, and inspire confidence with all constituents.
• A record of stellar academic credentials.
• Proven record as a motivated self-starter.
• Ability to work independently and thrive in a fast-paced environment with multiple concurrent demands.
• Must have the ability to provide sound legal advice, develop creative solutions, and exercise good business judgment.
• Superb communication and writing skills.
• Must represent the College in an ethical and professional manner.
• Excellent time management and prioritization skills.