Senior Legal Research Associate

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation's top public universities. Known for its beautiful campus, world-class medical care, commitment to the arts and top athletic programs, Carolina is an ideal place to teach, work and learn.

One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

University employees can choose from a wide range of professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development and lifelong learning and enjoy exclusive perks for numerous retail, restaurant and performing arts discounts, savings on local child care centers and special rates on select campus events. UNC-Chapel Hill offers full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package, paid leave, and a variety of health, life and retirement plans and additional programs that support a healthy work/life balance.

A professional school of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the School of Government is the largest and most diversified of the university-based governmental training and research organizations in the United States. Since 1931, local and state officials in North Carolina have relied on the School of Government as a source of expertise in government affairs and public policy in order to make informed policy decisions. The School's core faculty and affiliates are national experts in fields of law and jurisprudence, courts, social services, economic development policy, and other issues of critical importance to North Carolina state and local government. Elected, professional, and appointed state and local government leadership are the School's typical clientele, attending courses offered by the School's faculty. In a typical year, the School offers over 200 courses, workshops and web-based events both in Chapel Hill and at other locations throughout the state for over 14,000 local and state government officials the School's students representing over 163,000 annual contact hours. The School of Government serves as a technical resource to local and state government, fielding over 100,000 unique telephone inquiries from public officials annually. Publications bulletins, monographs, and books written by the School's faculty serve as reference materials for government policymakers and professional administrators. The School maintains a wide-ranging publications program, including two quarterly journals, guidebooks, 14 specialized bulletins, books, and monographs. The School's faculty also participate in a comprehensive range of consulting activities, offering technical assistance to governments statewide.

The Senior Legal Research Associate will lead a team that performs legal research, analysis, and writing to support the short- and long-term needs of School of Government faculty. Work may include helping faculty members respond to public officials' urgent requests for assistance, assisting faculty members in preparing publications such as books, blog posts, and journal articles, or supporting faculty members preparing to teach on a given topic.

Research projects will span multiple areas of law, including but not limited to local government law, land use law, criminal law and procedure, juvenile justice, and family law. The team's work includes electronic and paper-based legal research, cite-checking, legal writing, reviewing draft publications, and providing other related research assistance. When the North Carolina legislature is in, members of the research team may also help support the School's Legislative Reporting Service, which summarizes bills as they are introduced and tracks them as they progress.

The Senior Legal Research Associate will spend a portion of his or her time receiving research requests from faculty, clarifying their scope, assigning them to team members, and ensuring that requests are completed in a timely manner and to a high standard of quality. This position is not purely management or administration, however; the Senior Legal Research Associate will also participate directly in the research projects received by the team.

Relevant post-Baccalaureate degree required (or foreign degree equivalent); for candidates demonstrating comparable independent research productivity or comparable background in independent academic or instructional activities, will accept a relevant Bachelor's degree (or foreign degree equivalent) and 3 or more years of relevant experience in substitution. This experience may be related to the direction/oversight of programs that focus the academic and research resources of a higher education institution towards community or regional issues.

Strong legal research and writing skills, organizational skills, oral communication skills, and computer word processing skills are required. The ideal candidate will be meticulous and have demonstrated project management skills as well as experience in practical research.

The department prefers that the candidate has a J.D.

The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply without regard to age, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.