Legal Specialist, Risk & Insurance - Risk Management - Full Time 8 Hour Days (Exempt) (Non-Union)

The Office of Integrated Risk Management is dedicated to fostering a culture of safety, transparency, and continuous learning in alignment with Keck Medicine of USC's commitment to patient safety and academic excellence. As a nationally recognized Center of Integrated Risk Management Excellence, we work collaboratively across disciplines to proactively identify, mitigate, and manage risk, ensuring the highest standards of accountability, integrity, and innovation in healthcare. The Legal Specialist, Risk & Insurance is a highly skilled legal professional, such as a paralegal, attorney, or specialist with equivalent legal experience, to join our team and contribute to our pioneering efforts in healthcare risk management. This role is essential in supporting claims administration, litigation processes, regulatory compliance, and insurance operations while upholding the principles of just culture, communication resolution, and patient-centered safety practices. As a key partner in our high-performing team, this position will play a critical role in risk mitigation, litigation support, and regulatory reporting, collaborating closely with risk managers, insurers, defense counsel, and the Office of General Counsel. This position will work at the forefront of healthcare risk and insurance law, helping to shape policies and practices that empower providers, protect patients, and strengthen institutional resilience.

Essential Duties:

• Claims & Litigation Support * Support comprehensive claims management, including early resolution, potential compensable events (PCEs), and medical malpractice litigation * Oversee subpoena processing, discovery requests, and document verification * Prepare settlement agreements, case summaries, and litigation support materials in collaboration with legal teams * Assist in root cause analysis and risk assessments related to claims and litigation * Coordinate legal billing compliance and vendor management for outside counsel
• Insurance & Risk Management * Assist with insurance renewal processes, data collection, and broker coordination * Support review of insurance contracts for compliance with risk and liability standards * Manage Certificates of Insurance (COIs), claim histories, and documentation for credentialing * Maintain international telemedicine policies, professional liability policies, and compliance records
• Regulatory & Compliance Support * Draft reports to the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) and licensing boards for resolved cases * Support compliance with healthcare risk, credentialing, and liability mitigation requirements * Assist in BETA Heart audit tracking and Professional Liability Oversight Committee activities * Conduct legal research on healthcare risk, regulatory changes, and industry best practices
• Administrative & Program Support * Prepare meeting agendas, reports, and documentation for risk huddles, committees, and oversight meetings * Maintain case files, insurance records, legal documents, and compliance materials * Respond to legal inquiries, subpoena requests, and insurance coverage questions * Assist in the implementation of risk assessment and credentialing initiatives
• Perform other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications:

• Req Bachelor's Degree Law, Healthcare Law, Compliance, or related field

• JD or equivalent legal experience may substitute for formal education.

• Req 5 years Healthcare risk management, medical litigation, insurance law, or claims administration OR
• Req Experience as a licensed or formerly licensed attorney in relevant legal domains will also be considered

• Req Strong knowledge of medical malpractice defense, liability insurance policies, and risk financing
• Req Experience with credentialing processes, legal discovery, and regulatory compliance in healthcare
• Req Commitment to patient-centered risk management and communication resolution programs
• Req Exceptional analytical skills and proactive problem-solving abilities
• Req Advanced proficiency in case management systems, insurance databases, and regulatory reporting tools
• Req Excellent written and verbal communication skills, particularly in legal documentation and risk reporting
• Req Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-accountability environment with cross-functional teams

Preferred Qualifications:

• Pref Experience in academic medical centers, hospital risk management, or insurance defense law
• Pref Knowledge of ASHRM best practices, communication resolution programs, and just culture frameworks
• Pref Familiarity with National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) reporting, healthcare disclosure laws, and international insurance policies

Required Licenses/Certifications:

• Req Fire Life Safety Training (LA City) If no card upon hire, one must be obtained within 30 days of hire and maintained by renewal before expiration date. (Required within LA City only)
• Req Paralegal certificate, JD, or other relevant legal credential

The annual base salary range for this position is $95,680.00 - $158,230.00. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.