Staff Counsel, LACERA (Benefits)

Lacera•Pasadena, CA

19d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Legal Division is comprised of a Chief Counsel, Senior Staff Counsels, Staff Counsels, Legal Analysts, and Legal Secretaries. Legal staff work in one of four sections: Litigation and Employment, Investments and Commercial Transactions, Benefits, and Disability. The current vacancy is in the Benefits Section of the Legal Division. This position will be part of a team of attorneys, legal analysts, and secretarial support that provide legal advice and representation on all aspects of administration of the pension plan and retiree health care plan other than disability to LACERA and its Boards of Retirement and Investments, the Executive Office, the Member Operations Group, and other divisions as needed in the performance of LACERA’s fiduciary duty of loyalty and prudence in providing benefits to members and their beneficiaries. Issues will include interpretation of the California Constitution, County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 (CERL), the Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA), the Internal Revenue Code, and other benefit eligibility and delivery laws, regulations and internal policies, and procedures. The position will involve legal research, analysis, writing, collaboration, and presentation to the Board of Retirement and its committees. The position will advise the Board of Retirement on administrative appeals by members.

Requirements

Four years' experience in the practice of employee benefits law, tax law related to employee benefit plans, public agency law or a comparable legal specialty.
Admission to practice law in all courts of California

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated experience providing legal advice with regards to the administration of retirement, health, and other employee benefits.
Demonstrated experience reviewing court orders regarding dissolution, guardianship, and conservatorship.
Demonstrated experience making presentations on benefit issues.
Demonstrated experience advising a board of trustees or directors, or a board level committee, preferably on benefits issues.

Responsibilities

Providing legal support to the Board of Retirement, the Executive Office, the Member Operations Group, and other LACERA Divisions as needed on a wide range of benefits matters, including benefits eligibility (other than disability), the interpretation and application of CERL, PEPRA, the Internal Revenue Code, and other relevant state and federal laws and regulations and LACERA policies and procedures.
Working closely with Senior Benefits Staff Counsel, other attorneys (including outside counsel), and staff, provide legal advice on complex benefits issues, benefits-related tax questions, fiduciary matters, and ethics and compliance matters.
Preparing legal memos and presenting them to the Board of Retirement for action or counseling on benefits issues and topics in open and closed session, including advising on the development and refinement of LACERA’s policies, procedures, and practices.
Advising staff and the Board of Retirement in connection with administrative appeals filed by members on benefits issues.
Processing domestic relations orders submitted by members in connection with the split of pension rights and related issues, including guardianship, and conservatorship, and reviewing Powers of Attorney.
Supervising the activities of legal staff and outside counsel on benefits issues.
Providing legal support to the Boards, Committees, and staff at meetings in the absence of Senior Benefits Staff Counsel and Chief Counsel.