Assistant Counsel Jobs in New Jersey
Assistant Counsel jobs in New Jersey are consistently active, with strong demand from corporate legal departments, government agencies, and financial services firms at every level from entry-level associate to senior counsel. The largest concentrations of openings are in Newark, Trenton, and Princeton, where employers such as Johnson and Johnson, Prudential Financial, and the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General maintain substantial legal teams. The most sought-after specialties in the state include regulatory compliance, government litigation, and corporate transactional work. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 10+ Assistant Counsel jobs
Category: Senior Leadership (VP+)
Status: Full-Time
Shift: Day
Facility: RWJBarnabas Health Corporate Services
Department: General Counsel Office
Pay Range: $375,000.00 - $475,000.00 per year
Job Title: Senior Vice President
Location: SBC Corporation
Department Name: General Counsel Office
Req #: 0000263779
Status: Salaried
Shift: Day
Pay Range: $375,000.00 - $475,000.00 per year
Pay Transparency: The above reflects the anticipated annual salary range for this position if hired to work in New Jersey.
The compensation offered to the candidate selected for the position will depend on several factors, including the candidate's educational background, skills and professional experience.
Senior Vice President, Assistant General Counsel
Employment, Labor, Benefits & Immigration
RWJBarnabas Health, New Jersey's largest nonprofit academic health system, seeks a Senior Vice President, Assistant General Counsel to lead the enterprise employment, labor, benefits, immigration, workforce investigations, and workforce compliance legal function. Reporting to the Chief Legal Officer, this executive serves as the system's senior legal authority on workforce matters, advising executive leadership and the Board while leading a team of employment, labor, benefits, and immigration attorneys. The role combines sophisticated legal judgment with business partnership in a highly regulated, unionized, 24/7 healthcare environment.
As Senior Vice President, Assistant General Counsel – Employment, Labor, Benefits & Immigration, a typical day might include the following:
- Advising senior executives and HR leaders on complex, high-risk workforce matters, including employee relations, executive employment agreements, accommodations, disciplinary actions, terminations, and workforce restructuring.
- Leading enterprise labor strategy by partnering with HR and operational leaders on collective bargaining, union negotiations, arbitrations, NLRB matters, organizing activity, and labor implications of operational changes.
- Overseeing sensitive workforce investigations involving harassment, discrimination, retaliation, executive misconduct, and other high-risk employee matters, ensuring appropriate privilege, documentation, and remediation.
- Providing strategic counsel on benefits and compensation including ERISA compliance, executive compensation, retirement and health plans, plan changes, fiduciary matters, and Compensation Committee activities.
- Guiding immigration and global mobility strategy for physicians, researchers, and other international talent, overseeing visa sponsorship, permanent residency, I-9/E-Verify compliance, audits, and external immigration counsel.
- Monitoring and mitigating workforce legal and regulatory risk across areas such as wage-and-hour, EEO, OSHA, pay transparency, employee classification, leave, accommodations, screening, and licensure requirements.
- Leading and developing the workforce legal team by setting priorities, managing outside counsel and legal spend, establishing risk metrics and reporting, providing legal training, and serving as a strategic member of the Chief Legal Officer’s leadership team.
This role might be for you if:
- You bring deep expertise advising complex, highly regulated organizations on sophisticated employment and labor law matters.
- You have significant experience supporting unionized workforces, including collective bargaining, NLRB proceedings, arbitrations, organizing activity, and labor strategy.
- You excel at navigating high-stakes workforce matters, from executive employment issues and investigations to litigation, restructurings, and sensitive employee relations matters.
- You are a trusted advisor to senior executives and Boards, with the judgment and discretion to navigate complex, highly sensitive issues with enterprise-wide implications.
- You have successfully built and led high-performing legal teams, while effectively managing outside counsel, legal spend, priorities, and enterprise risk.
- You thrive in a complex academic healthcare environment and are energized by partnering across HR, Compliance, Medical Affairs, Talent Acquisition, and operational leadership to solve challenging workforce issues.
To be considered for this opportunity, you must have a Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school and be admitted to practice law in New Jersey, or be eligible for prompt admission. You must bring 12+ years of progressive employment, labor, benefits, and workforce legal experience, including significant expertise in employment counseling and litigation, labor relations and collective bargaining, workforce investigations, ERISA and benefits matters, and employment-based immigration. The ideal candidate will have experience supporting a unionized workforce, NLRB proceedings, and complex healthcare or academic medical center environments, with a demonstrated ability to advise senior executives and Boards and lead high-performing legal teams.
Additional Information:
Benefits and Perks:
At RWJBarnabas Health, our employees are at the heart of everything we do. Driven by our Total Wellbeing promise, our market-competitive offerings include comprehensive benefits and resources to support our employees’ physical, emotional, financial, personal, career, and community wellbeing. These benefits and resources include, but are not limited to:
- Paid Time Off including Vacation, Holidays, and Sick Time
- Retirement Plans
- Medical and Prescription Drug Insurance
- Dental and Vision Insurance
- Disability and Life Insurance
- Paid Parental Leave
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Student Loan Planning Support
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Wellness Programs
- Voluntary Benefits (e.g., Pet Insurance)
- Community and Volunteer Opportunities
- Discounts Through our Partners such as NJ Devils, NJ PAC, and Verizon
- ….and more!
At RWJBarnabas Health, our market-competitive Total Rewards package provides comprehensive benefits and resources to support our employees physical, emotional, social, and financial health.
- Paid Time Off (PTO)
- Medical and Prescription Drug Insurance
- Dental and Vision Insurance
- Retirement Plans
- Short & Long Term Disability
- Life & Accidental Death Insurance
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Health Care/Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
- Wellness Programs
- Voluntary Benefits (e.g., Pet Insurance)
- Discounts Through our Partners such as NJ Devils, NJ PAC, Verizon, and more!
RWJBarnabas Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Category: Senior Leadership (VP+)
Status: Full-Time
Shift: Day
Facility: RWJBarnabas Health Corporate Services
Department: General Counsel Office
Pay Range: $375,000.00 - $475,000.00 per year
Job Title: Senior Vice President
Location: SBC Corporation
Department Name: General Counsel Office
Req #: 0000263779
Status: Salaried
Shift: Day
Pay Range: $375,000.00 - $475,000.00 per year
Pay Transparency: The above reflects the anticipated annual salary range for this position if hired to work in New Jersey.
The compensation offered to the candidate selected for the position will depend on several factors, including the candidate's educational background, skills and professional experience.
Senior Vice President, Assistant General Counsel
Employment, Labor, Benefits & Immigration
RWJBarnabas Health, New Jersey's largest nonprofit academic health system, seeks a Senior Vice President, Assistant General Counsel to lead the enterprise employment, labor, benefits, immigration, workforce investigations, and workforce compliance legal function. Reporting to the Chief Legal Officer, this executive serves as the system's senior legal authority on workforce matters, advising executive leadership and the Board while leading a team of employment, labor, benefits, and immigration attorneys. The role combines sophisticated legal judgment with business partnership in a highly regulated, unionized, 24/7 healthcare environment.
As Senior Vice President, Assistant General Counsel – Employment, Labor, Benefits & Immigration, a typical day might include the following:
- Advising senior executives and HR leaders on complex, high-risk workforce matters, including employee relations, executive employment agreements, accommodations, disciplinary actions, terminations, and workforce restructuring.
- Leading enterprise labor strategy by partnering with HR and operational leaders on collective bargaining, union negotiations, arbitrations, NLRB matters, organizing activity, and labor implications of operational changes.
- Overseeing sensitive workforce investigations involving harassment, discrimination, retaliation, executive misconduct, and other high-risk employee matters, ensuring appropriate privilege, documentation, and remediation.
- Providing strategic counsel on benefits and compensation including ERISA compliance, executive compensation, retirement and health plans, plan changes, fiduciary matters, and Compensation Committee activities.
- Guiding immigration and global mobility strategy for physicians, researchers, and other international talent, overseeing visa sponsorship, permanent residency, I-9/E-Verify compliance, audits, and external immigration counsel.
- Monitoring and mitigating workforce legal and regulatory risk across areas such as wage-and-hour, EEO, OSHA, pay transparency, employee classification, leave, accommodations, screening, and licensure requirements.
- Leading and developing the workforce legal team by setting priorities, managing outside counsel and legal spend, establishing risk metrics and reporting, providing legal training, and serving as a strategic member of the Chief Legal Officer’s leadership team.
This role might be for you if:
- You bring deep expertise advising complex, highly regulated organizations on sophisticated employment and labor law matters.
- You have significant experience supporting unionized workforces, including collective bargaining, NLRB proceedings, arbitrations, organizing activity, and labor strategy.
- You excel at navigating high-stakes workforce matters, from executive employment issues and investigations to litigation, restructurings, and sensitive employee relations matters.
- You are a trusted advisor to senior executives and Boards, with the judgment and discretion to navigate complex, highly sensitive issues with enterprise-wide implications.
- You have successfully built and led high-performing legal teams, while effectively managing outside counsel, legal spend, priorities, and enterprise risk.
- You thrive in a complex academic healthcare environment and are energized by partnering across HR, Compliance, Medical Affairs, Talent Acquisition, and operational leadership to solve challenging workforce issues.
To be considered for this opportunity, you must have a Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school and be admitted to practice law in New Jersey, or be eligible for prompt admission. You must bring 12+ years of progressive employment, labor, benefits, and workforce legal experience, including significant expertise in employment counseling and litigation, labor relations and collective bargaining, workforce investigations, ERISA and benefits matters, and employment-based immigration. The ideal candidate will have experience supporting a unionized workforce, NLRB proceedings, and complex healthcare or academic medical center environments, with a demonstrated ability to advise senior executives and Boards and lead high-performing legal teams.
Additional Information:
Benefits and Perks:
At RWJBarnabas Health, our employees are at the heart of everything we do. Driven by our Total Wellbeing promise, our market-competitive offerings include comprehensive benefits and resources to support our employees’ physical, emotional, financial, personal, career, and community wellbeing. These benefits and resources include, but are not limited to:
- Paid Time Off including Vacation, Holidays, and Sick Time
- Retirement Plans
- Medical and Prescription Drug Insurance
- Dental and Vision Insurance
- Disability and Life Insurance
- Paid Parental Leave
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Student Loan Planning Support
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Wellness Programs
- Voluntary Benefits (e.g., Pet Insurance)
- Community and Volunteer Opportunities
- Discounts Through our Partners such as NJ Devils, NJ PAC, and Verizon
- ….and more!
At RWJBarnabas Health, our market-competitive Total Rewards package provides comprehensive benefits and resources to support our employees physical, emotional, social, and financial health.
- Paid Time Off (PTO)
- Medical and Prescription Drug Insurance
- Dental and Vision Insurance
- Retirement Plans
- Short & Long Term Disability
- Life & Accidental Death Insurance
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Health Care/Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
- Wellness Programs
- Voluntary Benefits (e.g., Pet Insurance)
- Discounts Through our Partners such as NJ Devils, NJ PAC, Verizon, and more!
RWJBarnabas Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer
See All 10 Assistant Counsel Jobs in New Jersey
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Find Assistant Counsel JobsAssistant Counsel Jobs by City in New Jersey
Where New Jersey roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Assistant Counsel Job Market in New Jersey
A snapshot from current New Jersey openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Education
- Insurance
What New Jersey Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in assistant counsel jobs across New Jersey.
- Active New Jersey bar admission or license recognized by the New Jersey Supreme Court
- Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school required for all positions
- Experience in regulatory compliance, litigation, or corporate transactional law preferred
- Strong legal research and writing skills demonstrated through work samples or writing tests
- Ability to manage caseloads independently under supervision of senior counsel
- Familiarity with New Jersey court procedures and state-specific administrative regulations
Assistant Counsel Jobs in New Jersey: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become an assistant counsel in New Jersey?
You become an assistant counsel in New Jersey by earning a Juris Doctor from an accredited law school, passing the New Jersey Bar Examination, and gaining admission through the New Jersey Board of Bar Examiners. After admission, candidates typically apply directly to corporate legal departments or government offices. Many employers also accept attorneys admitted in New York who obtain New Jersey licensure through motion on comity, which is common given the overlap between the two state bars.
How much do assistant counsels make in New Jersey?
Assistant counsels in New Jersey earn a median of about $161,430 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $93,810 for the lowest 10% to over $328,270 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire assistant counsels in New Jersey?
Employers hiring assistant counsels in New Jersey right now include BD, Delta Dental, and NJ TRANSIT, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. New Jersey's concentration of pharmaceutical, insurance, and financial services headquarters means many of these openings sit within large in-house legal departments rather than law firms.
Which New Jersey cities have the most assistant counsel jobs?
The cities with the most assistant counsel openings in New Jersey are Newark, Franklin Lakes, and Union. Newark anchors the market as the state's largest commercial and government hub, while Trenton draws consistent demand from state agency legal offices, and Princeton and the surrounding Route 1 corridor attract in-house counsel roles from the dense cluster of pharmaceutical and financial services firms headquartered there.
Are there remote assistant counsel jobs in New Jersey?
Yes, and more than many legal roles allow. About 100% of assistant counsel openings tied to New Jersey are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, reflecting how much of the work centers on document review, research, and contract drafting. Corporate transactional and compliance roles tend to offer the most flexibility, while government litigation positions almost always require in-person attendance at New Jersey courts and agency offices.
How can I get hired as an assistant counsel in New Jersey with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is through a judicial clerkship with a New Jersey Superior Court judge, which many in-house and government employers treat as equivalent to practice experience. Large state employers such as the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General and the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety run structured entry-level attorney programs for recent admittees. Candidates without experience can also target paralegal or law clerk roles at corporate legal departments in Newark or Parsippany to build New Jersey-specific exposure before transitioning to counsel positions.
Where can I find and apply to assistant counsel jobs in New Jersey?
You can find and apply to assistant counsel jobs in New Jersey on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings tied to New Jersey employers. Find roles that fit your background and apply directly to each one. No account creation is required to see the listings.
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Find roles in New Jersey that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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