General Counsel

About this role

Job Description: About Berklee

Berklee is the world’s leading institution for the study of contemporary music, dance, and musical theater, offering transformative educational programs ranging from performance, technology, production, and composition to business, education, music therapy, music and culture grounded in the African diaspora, and other disciplines. Berklee’s innovative curriculum blends contemporary and classical training with emerging technology and creative entrepreneurship, providing students with unparalleled resources to excel in their creative pursuits. Since its founding in Boston, Berklee has evolved into a global community, now home to over 8,000 students from more than 100 countries and connected by a network of 84,000+ alumni.

Comprising Berklee College of Music, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Berklee NYC, Berklee Valencia, Berklee Abu Dhabi, and the Division of Pre-College, Online and Professional Programs, the institution's dedication to empowering the world's most inspired artists and creative entrepreneurs through arts education is reflected in the work of Berklee's students, faculty, and alumni — who have earned more than 3,000 award nominations, received more than 300 Grammys and 100 Latin Grammys, and won numerous Oscars, Emmys, and Tonys.

About the President

Jim Lucchese, President of Berklee, started on January 1, 2025, as the institution’s fifth president. A pioneering music industry executive and longtime artist advocate, Lucchese brings more than two decades of experience at the intersection of music, technology, law, and creative entrepreneurship to his leadership of Berklee.

Prior to joining Berklee, President Lucchese held senior leadership roles across the global music ecosystem. He began his career as an artist-side music attorney at Greenberg Traurig in New York, representing musicians and creative entrepreneurs in recording, publishing, licensing, and emerging digital business matters. In 2007, he became the CEO of The Echo Nest, a musician-founded music intelligence and discovery company that was acquired by Spotify in 2014. Following the acquisition, he served as Spotify’s founding Global Head of the Creator team, now known as Spotify for Artists.

In 2019, Lucchese was named CEO of Sofar Sounds, a global live music community operating in more than 75 countries. During his tenure, he expanded Sofar’s artist services capabilities, helping artists strengthen direct relationships with fans and generate sustainable income streams, and oversaw significant growth in global performance and artist payouts.

Lucchese has deep and longstanding ties to Berklee. His relationship with the institution began in 1989 when he attended Berklee’s Five-Week Summer Performance Program, and has since served on multiple Berklee advisory bodies, including the Presidential Advisory Council and the Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship Advisory Board, well before assuming the presidency.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Boston College and a Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Georgetown University. A longtime drummer and active participant in the Boston music community, Lucchese leads Berklee with a strong commitment to artistic excellence, innovation, and the future of global arts education.

Position Overview

Reporting directly to the President, the General Counsel (“GC”) serves as Berklee’s chief legal officer and a key strategic advisor to the President and senior administration. The General Counsel is responsible for overseeing and managing legal matters arising from Berklee’s programs and associated activities and plays a central role at the intersection of law, institutional policy, and strategic leadership. This is a unique opportunity to join a mission-driven institution at an exciting moment under new leadership.

Berklee seeks an accomplished attorney with a distinguished professional record who brings both legal depth and leadership experience. Personal and professional resonance with Berklee’s culture and mission is essential, as is a strong desire to contribute meaningfully to the institution’s strategy and long-term goals. The successful candidate will bring sound judgment, strategic, conceptual, and analytical acumen, and an appreciation for the complexities facing institutions of higher education today, including the diverse needs and perspectives of faculty, staff, and students. Experience with, and a deep interest in, the intersection of technology, higher education, and the creative arts is a vital component of this role.

The responsibilities of the General Counsel will include, but will not be limited to:  • Serving as a strategic thought partner and trusted advisor to the President and Berklee’s senior administration on critical legal, policy, and risk-related issues affecting Berklee and its various constituencies. 

• Working closely with the President, senior administration, and the Board on the formulation and implementation of Berklee’s legal and litigation strategy, and advising on corporate governance matters, including board resolutions, governance documents, and participation in Board and committee meetings, as appropriate. 

• Providing timely, practical guidance on a broad range of legal and policy matters impacting higher education, including student affairs, research, data privacy, real estate and facilities, intellectual property and technology, employment law, governance, nonprofit and tax matters. 

• Leading comprehensive regulatory compliance efforts and collaborating across departments, programs, and affiliated entities on enterprise risk management. 

• Providing clear, creative, and supportive leadership in labor matters, including collaborative engagement with union leadership. 

• Supporting the development and execution of strategic partnerships, in collaboration with institutional leaders, to advance Berklee’s mission and global priorities. 

• Supporting crisis prevention and response strategies. 

• Providing

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