We are seeking a Practice Group Leader - Litigation & Contested Matters, who will serve as the University’s principal legal authority for all litigation, employment law, and contested matters, including labor relations and union negotiations. Reporting directly to the Deputy General Counsel, within the Office of the General Counsel, this position functions as a trusted advisor to senior leadership and a strategic partner across the institution, balancing legal risk, institutional values, and mission driven priorities. As Practice Group Leader, the role oversees a team of attorneys and develops legal strategy aligned with and attuned to the scale, complexity, and risk profile typical of top tier research universities and academic medical centers.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Advisory

• Serve as the University’s senior legal advisor on all litigation, investigations, and contested matters, including employment and other disputes.

• Develop and execute proactive litigation and investigations strategies aligned with institutional risk tolerance and strategic objectives.

• Advise senior leadership on high risk, high impact matters, including investigations, employment disputes, labor relations, and union negotiations.

• Anticipate emerging legal risks and trends affecting higher education, healthcare, and research institutions.

Litigation & Employment Law Oversight

• Oversee all phases of litigation, including strategy development, case management, settlement negotiations, and coordination with outside counsel.

• Lead the University’s employment law practice, including compliance, investigations, disciplinary matters, and dispute resolution.

• Serve as lead counsel and strategic advisor in union negotiations and labor management relations.

• Ensure consistent, equitable, and legally sound employment practices across decentralized academic and administrative units.

Practice Group Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and manage attorneys within the Litigation and Contested Matters practice group.

• Set clear expectations, priorities, and performance standards for the team.

• Foster a collaborative, high performing legal practice that emphasizes responsiveness, professional judgment, and institutional partnership.

• Manage resources and outside counsel relationships to ensure cost effective, high quality legal services.

Collaboration & Relationship Building

• Build strong, trusted relationships with Human Resources, Finance, academic leadership, compliance, risk management, and other key partners.

• Serve as a bridge between legal counsel and institutional stakeholders, translating complex legal issues into clear, actionable guidance.

• Promote consistent communication and alignment across decentralized units.

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school.

• Admission to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction; ability to obtain admission in Maryland within six months (if not already licensed in Maryland).

• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible legal experience, with substantial experience in:
• Complex litigation
• Investigations
• Employment law

• Demonstrated experience leading or managing attorneys or legal teams.

• Proven ability to advise senior executives on sensitive, high stakes matters.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex legal concepts clearly and persuasively.

• Strong strategic judgment, discretion, and problem-solving skills.
• Additional education may substitute for required experience, and additional related experience may substitute for required education beyond a high school diploma/graduation equivalent, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.

• Experience in higher education, academic medical centers, or similarly complex, regulated environments.

• Prior experience serving as a practice group leader, senior law firm lawyer, or in a senior in house counsel role.

• Deep familiarity with employment law in unionized environments.

• Experience in managing outside counsel and controlling litigation costs.

• Demonstrated success in building collaborative relationships across diverse stakeholder groups.

• Commitment to mentorship and professional development within legal teams.

Personal Attributes

• Significant legal experience advising smart and exacting clients.

• Superior legal negotiating, drafting, and presentation skills.

• Organized self-starter with strong work ethic and a 'can do' attitude; a quick study with ability to manage deadlines.

• Ability to work proactively collaboratively and cooperatively, and as a member of a team, while empowering internal clients and colleagues and emphasizing accountability.

• Intellectually and conceptually nimble as well as creative with the ability to analyze, interpret, present, and communicate complex ideas and concepts in a clear, concise fashion.

• Proven ability to manage effectively in a matrix environment and contribute to cross-functional efforts.

• Absolute integrity, a strong character, a positive attitude, and a sense of humor.

• Gravitas, judgment, and self-confidence, but also humility, deference, respect for others, and willingness to work as a team member.

• Superior intellect, with the ability to think critically and make clear and well-reasoned decisions in complex and ambiguous situations.

• Strong organizational skills, a flexible work style and schedule, and the ability to simultaneously manage multiple challenging projects in a demanding work environment.

• Strategic and innovative thinker who can bring value to his or her clients and find creative solutions to complex legal problems.

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate (both orally and in written form) in order to engender trust, confidence, and respect from academics, scientists, doctors, lawyers, business and finance leaders, members of government bodies, and senior institutional officials.

Salary and Benefits

The salary range for this role is $275,000 - $350,000 USD, commensurate with experience.

The referenced base salary range represents the low and high end of Johns Hopkins University’s salary range for this position. Not all candidates will be eligible for the upper end of the salary range. Exact salary will ultimately depend on multiple factors, which may include the successful candidate's geographic location, skills, work experience, market conditions, education/training and other qualifications. Johns Hopkins offers a total rewards package that supports our employees' health, life, career and retirement. More information can be found here: https://hr.jhu.edu/benefits- worklife/.

Classified Title: Practice Group Leader-OGC 
Job Posting Title (Working Title): Practice Group Leader- Litigation & Contested Matters (Office of Sr. Vice President & General Counse   
Role/Level/Range: ADMOFF/01/EX  
Starting Salary Range: Commensurate w/exp. 
Employee group: Full Time 
Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm 
FLSA Status: Exempt 
Location: Hybrid/Homewood Campus  
Department name: VP and General Counsel Office of   
Personnel area: University Administration 

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About Johns Hopkins University

The Johns Hopkins University (JHU) was founded in 1876 as the nation's first research university, dedicated to bringing the benefits of discovery to the world. JHU is the largest private employer in Baltimore and Maryland, making a large economic impact in the city and state. We enroll more than 30,000 full- and part-time students across ten academic divisions, offering in-person and remote learning in over 400 programs. Not only are we located in Baltimore, but we also have a presence in Washington, D.C.

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