Legal Counsel

Cambridge Public Schools•Cambridge, MA

About The Position

The School Legal Counsel serves as legal advisor to the School Committee and reports to the Superintendent of Schools. The selected individual will be appointed by the City Manager as a Special Assistant City Solicitor and will coordinate legal activities with the City Solicitor’s Office of the City of Cambridge. The position will support and/or coordinate legal support in the areas of labor relations, personnel matters, Special Education, student conduct, and procurement.

Requirements

J.D. degree from an accredited law school.
Must be a member of the Massachusetts Bar or eligible for admission and admitted or eligible for admission to practice before the federal courts.
A minimum of 10 years of successful full-time experience in relevant legal practice.
Specific experience in labor, employment, and educational law is highly desirable

Responsibilities

Serve as legal advisor to the School Committee on matters brought before the Committee and as requested by the Committee, including preparation of reports and advisory opinions.
Advise the Superintendent of Schools on all legal matters with respect to student legal issues; employee relations; collective bargaining contract administration including grievances, arbitrations and related matters; public records requirements; local, state and federal laws relating to education and public schools; state and federal regulatory agency issues; and other matters a may be appropriate.
Coordinate with the City Solicitor’s Office and outside counsel on all facets of litigation relating to the School Department, including answering interrogatories, production of documents requests, depositions, witness preparation, etc.
Coordinate responses to, and represent the School Department on, employee matters before various agencies including Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Massachusetts Human Resources Division (civil service), American Arbitration Association (AAA), U.S. Office of Civil Rights (OCR), etc.
Support collective bargaining negotiations as a member of the School Committee negotiating team, and/or coordinate with outside counsel when needed.
Collaborate with other departments (Human Resources, Special Education, Safety & Security, etc.) in the development and delivery of training for principals, other administrators and supervisors and other staff in appropriate labor relations, employment law, education law, and other relevant matters.
Coordinate and consult with the Safety & Security Department on student discipline and safety matters.
Serve as legal advisor to principals and other administrators on specific school related legal matters, and provide consultation and assistance on such matters.
Inform appropriate administrators of current and pending changes in state and federal laws affecting School Department operations and administration.
Assist in the development and conduct reviews of School Department policies, regulations and procedures with respect to legal implications.
Participate in school community presentations conducted by the administration, and be available for school or parent organization presentations on matters of interest.
Advise the Superintendent and School Committee on legislative matters or other legal issues of public concern to ensure an informed response to such issues.
Review and/or assist in the development of public information news releases on sensitive matters.
Provide general legal advice to the School Department administration and School Committee, as requested, and assist with special projects as directed by the Superintendent.