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LEGAL FELLOW--HEALTHCARE RISK MANAGEMENT
Job Title: LEGAL FELLOW--HEALTHCARE RISK MANAGEMENT
Job Code: 2084
FLSA: E
Job Level: 98
Revised Date: 04/01/2026
Job Family: JF 28
Occupational Summary
The Legal Fellow - Healthcare Risk Management ("Legal Fellow") is a full-time position for an early career attorney with special interests in practicing healthcare law at an educational institution with an academic medical center. The Legal Fellow will represent the interests of Duke University ("DU"), Duke University Health System ("DUHS"), Duke Health Integrated Practice ("DHIP"), and their providers (insured by captive insurance company Durham Casualty Company ("DCC")) in the management of medical professional liability and general liability investigations, claims and litigation. The Legal Fellow will report directly to the Associate General Counsel (Risk Management/Claims/Litigation).
Work Performed
Provide assistance, research, and advice on various legal issues in support of claims, litigation, and significant incident investigations involving medical professional liability and general liability matters presented and/or filed against DU, DUHS, DHIP, and their providers, as insured by captive insurance company DCC.
Provide valuable legal support associated with patient care and risk liability/exposure issues while serving as liaison for the DUHS Clinical Risk Management Department.
Work with external counsel to provide support to physicians and other healthcare providers regarding various legal matters including, but not limited to, requests for depositions, subpoenas, and complaints and requests for information received from licensing boards.
Assist with crisis management matters across DUHS, including patient- specific matters and general, risk/reputational matters.
Provide support for case updates to executive leadership at quarterly Joint Liability Steering Committee meetings.
Provide legal assistance with mediations, arbitrations, and settlement negotiations associated with medical professional liability and significant incidents, claims and litigation.
Provide timely updates to DCC for insurance purposes.
Assist with management of general liability claims, litigation, and investigations including, but not limited to, premises liability (slip and fall) matters.
Provide general support and legal advice to executive leadership teams at all Duke Health entities.
Provide support for annual reinsurance activities including, but not limited to, DCC annual case review/audit of claims and litigation, DCC reinsurance underwriting meetings, and DCC reinsurance review team visits.
Assist and coordinate with DUHS's Health Information Management team to facilitate fulfillment of subpoenas, court orders, and authorization requests for patient medical records.
Provide advice and support in management of litigation, including assistance with discovery requests and responses, jury research events, and trial strategy meetings.
Review and manage timely issuance of preservation notices in connection with anticipated litigation or anti-spoilation letters received from third parties.
Manage relationships with external counsel and oversee the production of required quarterly DCC case status reports.
Conduct legal research on federal and state laws and prepare summaries and legal memoranda, as needed.
Draft contracts, agreements, releases, and other legal documents, as needed.
Perform other related duties incidental to the work described herein.
Required Qualifications at this Level
Education/Training
Work requires JD degree and a valid license to practice law in the U.S. or recent law graduate with JD degree who has sat for the Uniform Bar Examination with results pending.
Experience
Work requires strong legal research and writing skills.
Skills
The intent of this job description is to provide a representative and level of the types of duties and responsibilities that will be required of positions given this title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the total of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.
Duke University is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation, or military status.
Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas-an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.
Essential Physical Job Functions
Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.
