Legal Specialist

Wichita Public Schools•Wichita, KS

8d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Legal Specialist provides a variety of highly responsible, confidential, and complex legal secretarial and paralegal duties in support of the General Counsel. This position also serves in a back-up capacity for the Board Clerk.

Requirements

High School Diploma or GED required
3 years of legal office experience involving document preparation and coordination with legal counsel
Advance level computer skills required
Valid Kansas Driver’s License
Knowledge of Kansas court rules, filing procedures (including electronic filing systems), and the legal requirements for valid subpoenas
Ability to maintain professional working relationships with court clerks, judges, and government personnel to ensure timely processing of district legal business
Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with all levels of School District, Court and Government personnel and the general public
Ability to read, review, analyze, and proofread legal documents, professional journals, memoranda, technical procedures, or governmental regulations
Ability to type legal briefs, pleadings, real estate, and government documents, correspondence and legal minutes
Ability to organize information and material into manageable form
Displays a significant degree of professionalism and confidentiality
Ability to conform to proper standards of professional dress and appearance
Knowledge of the District’s mission, purpose, goals and the role of every employee in achieving each of them
An understanding of the ethical use of AI in legal research and document drafting.

Nice To Haves

5-7 years’ experience performing executive or legal secretarial functions preferred

Responsibilities

Prepares and processes pleading and documents requiring knowledge of legal format, terminology and procedures
Researches, gathers, and organizes pertinent data and information into manageable formats for reports, legal opinions, and staff use
Maintains a schedule of appointments and arranges and schedules conferences and interviews
Assists in litigation being handled by outside counsel
Drafts and reviews contracts and agreements from all areas of the district under the direction and supervision of the General Counsel, including but not limited to vendor contracts, agreements with outside consultants, construction and architectural agreements
Monitors and interprets relevant state and federal statutes, regulations, and pending legislation as they apply to school district operations
Prepares, processes, and files legal documents, pleadings, and motions with the appropriate courts for all district-related legal matters, including but not limited to personnel issues, litigation, and student matters.
Acts as a primary liaison for the filing and retrieval of documents from court systems to support the General Counsel and outside counsel in active litigation
Coordinates the preparation and issuance of subpoenas for various administrative and judicial proceedings; facilitates meetings with district court judges to obtain necessary signatures and ensures proper service of process
Obtains and organizes pertinent evidence, records, and data from district departments for use in court filings and legal opinions
Reviews family law matters pertaining to parental contact with students at school, clarification of custodial issues for staff pertaining to students
Reviews subpoenas received by the district; reviews responses prepared by district staff under the supervision and direction of the General Counsel
Assists with responding to Department of Education Office of Civil Rights (OCR) complaints
Assists with responding to complaints filed with the Kansas Human Resources Commission and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or assists outside counsel in preparation of same
Reviews domestic orders
Responsible for assisting with real estate law (acquisition, sale, etc.), special education law (due process), Section 504 law, Americans with Disabilities Act issues, employment law, civil rights issues, health care law, technology law, open records law (Kansas Open Records Act), construction law (contracts and claims), Professional Negotiations Act law, Title IX law, first amendment issues (religion and speech), constitutional law, policy drafts (from a legal standpoint), IRS code as applied to school districts, criminal trespass (parent bans), FERPA, FMLA, worker’s compensation, Public Employer-Employee Relations Act, and land use law
Provide legal secretarial support to the general counsel and legal staff including but not limited to all copying, mailing, filing of outgoing documents
Assists the General Counsel in reviewing and monitoring Data Privacy Agreements (DPAs) and Data Use Agreements (DUAs) with third-party educational technology vendors to ensure compliance with FERPA, SOPPA, and district-specific security standards
Manages the identification, preservation, and collection of relevant electronic records (emails, chat logs, and cloud files) in response to litigation, OCR complaints, or Kansas Open Records Act (KORA) requests
Provides administrative support in the event of a data breach, including organizing required legal notifications and maintaining a log of remedial actions taken by the district
Oversees the legal department’s digital filing system, ensuring that all confidential legal briefs, contracts, and court orders are organized, searchable, and stored according to district retention policies
Oversees and manages case notes for all matters brought into the Legal Services Department
Assists with additional duties as assigned by supervisor.