Vice President and General Counsel

🔍Office of the General Counsel, Stanford, California, United States📁Compliance Legal📅Mar 12, 2026 Post Date📅108403 Requisition #

Stanford University is one of the world’s premier academic and research institutions, devoting tremendous intellectual and physical resources toward the betterment of humanity. As a major Silicon Valley employer, Stanford seeks people committed to excellence and to improving our world. In turn, the university is committed to supporting its employees as they develop their careers and enrich their lives.

Role

The General Counsel at Stanford University is a pivotal role that reports directly to the President of Stanford University. The General Counsel will:

• Serve as the principal legal counselor and key strategic advisor to the President, Provost, and Board of Trustees.
• Serve as a member of the university’s Cabinet.
• Advise governance bodies and senior leadership across a wide range of domains, including in areas of significant public visibility, political interest, and potential reputational impact.
• Provide steady counsel in addressing crises and other sensitive situations.
• Support senior leadership through clear framing of legal issues, context-aware legal assessment, and thoughtful identification of strategic implications.
• Bring long-term thinking as well as near-term support to institutional strategy development and legal service delivery.
• Work in collaboration with leadership and government affairs in navigating government inquiries, investigations, and evolving policy, regulatory, and public landscapes.
• Advise on systems for university compliance with applicable federal, state, local, and international laws and regulations and foster effective relationships with regulatory agencies.
• Bring a creative and practical perspective to institutional policy and practice design.
• Lead and develop a high-performing legal team, guide litigation strategy development, and ensure effective delivery of comprehensive legal services across the university and Stanford Medicine.
• Ensure OGC structure and service delivery evolve in line with strategic choices at the university and technology and other developments in legal practice.
• Oversee the engagement and management of outside counsel.
  
  

The Successful Candidate Will Possess

• Unquestioned integrity, character, judgment, and discretion.
• Enterprise legal leadership experience within a large and complex organization.
• Legal acumen, management capability, and intellectual curiosity appropriate to Stanford’s breadth and culture.
• Ability to translate complex legal analyses and risk assessments into clear, context-aware, and practical guidance.
• Deep commitment to academic values and a keen desire to advance the university’s mission.
• Visible desire to enable faculty, administrative leaders, and other university constituents to advance their ideas and pursue their goals.
• Positive, collegial, and collaborative working style, and an approach to issues reflective of the spirit of innovation and optimism central to Stanford’s culture.
• Experience operating effectively and building trusting relationships across multi-stakeholder institutional environments.
• Emotional intelligence, an ability to exercise influence through credibility, empathy, and relationships rather than formal authority, boardroom presence, and gravitas.
• Proven ability to develop exceptional legal talent and ensure legal service delivery across diverse practice areas.
  
  

Ideal Experience

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.
• Active membership in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar and eligibility to practice in California.
• Substantial senior-level legal leadership experience in complex organizations.
• Demonstrated experience advising chief executives and governing boards.
• Experience leading a substantial legal department.
  
  

Candidates from corporate, governmental, or other complex institutional environments, as well as candidates with higher education experience, will be considered.

Physical Requirements

• Frequently stand/walk, sit, use a computer, use a telephone, and grasp lightly/fine manipulation.
• Occasionally twist/bend/stoop/squat, reach/work above shoulders, grasp forcefully, lift/carry/push/pull objects that weigh up to 20 pounds, write by hand, sort/file paperwork.
• Rarely kneel/crawl.
• Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of the job.
  
  

Working Conditions

• Occasional work on evenings and weekends.
  
  

Work Standards

• Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrates the ability to work well with Stanford colleagues and clients and with external organizations.
• Promote Culture of Safety: Demonstrates commitment to personal responsibility and value for safety; communicates safety concerns; uses and promotes safe behaviors based on training and lessons learned.
• Subject to and expected to comply with all applicable University policies and procedures, including but not limited to the personnel policies and other policies found in the University's Administrative Guide.
  
  

The expected pay range for this position is $850,000 to $1,100,000 per annum.

Stanford University provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of the salary or hourly wage the university reasonably expects to pay for a position upon hire. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographic location and external market pay for comparable jobs.

At Stanford University, base pay represents only one aspect of the comprehensive rewards package. The Cardinal at Work website provides detailed information on Stanford’s extensive range of benefits and rewards offered to employees. Specifics about the rewards package for this position may be discussed during the hiring process.

The job duties listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary depending on department or program needs without changing the general nature and scope of the job or level of responsibility. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.

Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact Stanford University Human Resources by submitting a contact form.

Stanford is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Additional Information

• Schedule: Full-time
• Job Code: 1914
• Employee Status: Regular
• Grade: N99
• Requisition ID: 108403
• Work Arrangement : On Site