Associate General Counsel I

SALARY DETAILS

APPLICATION FILING DATES

Application Open Date: 01/02/2025

Application Close Date: Open Until Filled

INFORMATION ABOUT LAUSD

Please upload a copy of your resume when applying. 

We are LAUSD. We are at the forefront of innovation in public education, focused on a clear and inspiring vision of the future for all of our students as they venture forward on their journey as lifelong learners. Here, you will have the opportunity to exercise your potential in a role supporting the business of education. Our work directly contributes toward the goal of ensuring that our students graduate ready for the world – ready to thrive in college, career and life. LAUSD is the second largest school district in the nation with an enrollment of nearly 575,000 students. We serve an area totaling 710 square miles, with over 1,190 schools and educational centers, and we employ over 74,000 individuals, making us one of the largest employers in our city.

LAUSD Employees: Please be advised that all LAUSD employees must sign in to the GlobalProtect Virtual Private Network (VPN) in order to submit an application from an external network outside of an LAUSD location. For assistance with installing the GlobalProtect virtual network, please contact Information Technology Services at (213) 443-1300 or (213) 241-5200.

DEPARTMENT OR SCHOOL SITE

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Office of the General Counsel (OGC) is currently seeking attorneys to join our dynamic team to address various legal issues impacting the second largest public school district in the nation and the largest school district in California. 

The LAUSD OGC is at the forefront of novel legal issues affecting large scale educational issues. Attorneys in this organization have a unique opportunity to be intricately involved and engaged in directly supporting and defending policies that affect the delivery of public education on a large scale. The LAUSD OGC is a team of 120 dedicated and passionate lawyers, staff, and administrative professionals led by a dynamic and supportive leadership team. 

The LAUSD OGC leads the way with its cadre of some of the foremost experts in education law and dedicated staff of professionals committed to the ideals of public service and public education. We highly prioritize attorney growth and satisfaction. Enjoy immediate responsibility, regular client contact, and the chance to effectuate meaningful change and tackle the most cutting-edge and novel legal issues affecting public education in a collegial environment. 

To that end, the office's environment promotes mentoring, and are afforded opportunities to participate in both in-house legal education and outside programs. We believe that a multiplicity of worldviews makes us thrive as an office. Like the LAUSD, we are widely and regularly viewed as one of the most diverse and inclusive law offices in the country. 

Working on this legal team is an opportunity to be involved in meaningful and impactful work in public education. We encourage attorneys interested in public service to apply to work with the LAUSD OGC. 

PROJECT

An Associate General Counsel I has primary responsibility to provide senior management with a high-level of legal expertise in a specialized area of law; handles complex, high profile, and exposure litigation; and acts as Associate General Counsel II in their absence. 

General direction is received from the General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel, or Associate General Counsel II. General supervision is exercised over lower-level support staff. Technical supervision may be exercised in a specialized area of practice. 

Currently there is one vacancy on the Labor and Employment Legal Services team. This is an in-person position. Our office is located in downtown Los Angeles.

The Labor & Employment Legal Services team addresses legal issues arising from all aspects of employment, including those questions arising under collective bargaining agreements in place with the District. The lawyers of the team appear on behalf of the District in State and federal court in lawsuits by former and current employees, in arbitration proceedings, and represent the District's interests before the Public Employment Relations Board and other administrative agencies. 

Please note that this recruitment and resulting eligibility list may also be used to fill future vacancies in other specialized areas/teams overseeing other specialized areas, such as administrative disciplinary hearings, general education matters, business and government contracts, facilities related matters (e.g., environmental, land use, real estate, and construction), special education matters, general liability and personal injury litigation. 

BENEFITS

Insurance: District paid premiums for your choice of several medical, dental, and vision for you and your dependents; and life insurance plans.

Retirement: Membership in the California Public Employee Retirement System (CalPERS). Vacation: 24 days each year. Paid Holidays: Up to 13 days.

JOB DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Typical Duties:

• Litigates on behalf of the District in high level and sophisticated matters in court and in administrative agencies, and oversees outside counsel in such matters. 
• Reviews and recommends assignments of legal work to Assistant General Counsels. 
• Assists in the tracking of litigation, settlements, results, expenditures, and other legal data. 
• Negotiates, drafts, and revises proposed legislation and advocates for such legislation that is in the best interest of the District. 
• Coordinates, prioritizes, and schedules legal work with and provides legal advice to client organizational units of the District. 
• Develops strategic plan for the client units that integrate multiple areas of practice to ensure timely and complete provision of legal advice, reduce legal costs and amounts of legal judgments or settlements, and maximize opportunities for a client organizational unit. 
• Devises and implements overall legal strategies for client organizational units on a case-by-case basis. 
• Represents the District as appropriate before various governmental agencies, legislative bodies, boards, assigned committees, and the public. 
• Carries out complex and sensitive legal assignments which are potentially precedent setting for the District, generate significant cost savings and revenue or entail high exposure. 
• Assists in the planning and development of legal policy and office procedures and processes. 
• Assists in the selection, billing, review, and hiring of outside counsel in one or more areas of expertise. 
• Performs legal research and interpretation on a variety of legal problems. 
• Interprets and applies laws, court decisions, and other legal authorities in preparing memoranda, notes, opinions, rules, policies, and other documents in relation to Education Code, Government Code, and State and federal law. 
• Provides training to legal staff. 
• Drafts and revises memoranda, opinions, contracts, rules, policies, and other documents to meet the needs for the District's organizational unit to which assigned. 
• Negotiates complex transactions, drafts sophisticated instruments including, but not limited to, multiple-party agreements with public agencies and private parties, and consummates such complex transactions

To view the complete Class Description, visit us at www.lausdjobs.org

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Education: Graduation from a recognized college or university with a bachelor's degree and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited institution or an institution accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California; a J.D. degree from an ABA accredited institution is preferred. 

Experience: Six (6) years of experience as a practicing member of the Bar. 

Special: Authorization to practice law in California by the California State Bar Association. 

A valid California Driver License and use of an automobile. 

SPECIAL NOTE An employee in this class may be subject to the reporting requirements of the District's Conflict of Interest Code. 

Applicants who have completed college or university course work at an institution in a country other than the United States, must obtain a complete evaluation of foreign transcripts and degrees. Please be sure to request a "Detailed" evaluation report. Please be sure to use degree evaluation service agencies from the following approved agencies: http://www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials/leaflets/cl635.pdf 

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Successful candidates will have current and active practicing attorney experience in the last seven years. In addition, an ideal candidate will have: 

• Strong skills in research, writing, and analysis with a deep interest in working in a collaborative and fast-paced environment with a talent for identifying and resolving issues impacting students. 
• Strong organization, communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills along with creativity and significant litigation knowledge are encouraged to apply. 
• Skills in one of the areas of legal specialization practiced in the OGC with a background that matches the responsibilities and expectations for effective job performance on the legal term to which assigned. 

A primary responsibility is litigation in both courts and administrative hearings. General knowledge necessary includes provisions of the California Education Code, Government Code, and Code of Civil Procedure as well as other laws - both federal and State relevant to responsibilities; basic concepts and applications of data processing systems, legal software applications, and methods of legal research; alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and other forms of informal dispute resolution; training, employee evaluation, employee relations, and progressive discipline; government contracts; intellectual property; electronic commerce; tort liability and litigation; workers compensation; and risk management. 

Additionally, the ideal candidate will be a skillful litigator and/or advice and transactional attorney who can handle multiple assignments in State and federal courts and administrative agencies, develop and build consensus and resolve conflicts, have very strong legal research, computer, writing, and oral communication skills; develop the trust and confidence of clients; use an understanding of broad concepts to integrate legal input into major District policy decisions; and have a commitment to public service and serving the needs of the Los Angeles Unified students and community. 

EMPLOYMENT SELECTION PROCESS

The selection process tentatively includes a T&E and an Interview. 

This recruitment will utilize Selective Certification. Some classified positions may require special knowledge or experience for which Selective Certification may be made according to the Education Code Section 45277.5. Selective Certification is a tool that allows management to interview additional candidates beyond the top three (3) overall ranks who possess specialized knowledge, skill, or experience in an area which is not widely expected in the overall recruitment pool, is not readily developed on the job, and yet is consistent with the overall concept of the classification. Selective Certification options will be sent to you after your application has been reviewed and qualified. 

The following eight (8) areas of Selective Certification and requirements available are: 
1)    Administrative Legal Services
2)    Business and Government Services
3)    Ethics and Compliance Monitoring Legal Services
4)    Education Law
5)    Special Education Law
6)    Facilities Law
7)    General Liability Litigation
8)    Labor and Employment Law

APPLICATION PROCESS

Please be sure to include correspondence from @lausd.net and @successfactors.com as approved senders so that messages are not accidentally placed into your spam/junk e-mail folder.

NEED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WITH THE ON-LINE APPLICATION? Email us: helpmeapply@lausd.net 

The LAUSD intends that all qualified persons shall have equal opportunities for employment and promotion. 

Reasonable accommodations in completing an application and testing are available to individuals with disabilities. Please call (213) 241-3455 for more information. 

ADDITIONAL POSTING INFORMATION

The Los Angeles Unified School District is committed to providing a working and learning environment free from discrimination, harassment, intimidation, abusive conduct, or bullying. The District prohibits discrimination, harassment, intimidation, abusive conduct or bullying based on actual or perceived race or ethnicity, gender/sex (including gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding/lactation status and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, religion, color, national origin (including language use restrictions and possession of a driver’s license issued under Vehicle Code), ancestry, immigration status, physical or mental disability (including clinical depression and bipolar disorder, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, epilepsy, seizure disorder, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and heart disease), medical condition (cancer related and genetic characteristics), military and veteran status, marital status, registered domestic partner status, age (40 and above), genetic information, political belief or affiliation (unless union related), a person's association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law, ordinance, or regulation in any program or activity it conducts or to which it provides significant assistance.

For inquiries or complaints contact our Equal Opportunity Section, (213) 241-7685.

Selection and promotion are based on a competitive employment assessment process. Candidates who pass all parts of the assessment process are placed on a hiring (eligibility) list based on their assessment score. Hiring departments may make job offers to candidates on the top three ranks of the hiring list. Eligibility typically lasts for 12 months. The hiring list resulting from this assessment process may be used to fill open positions in related job classifications.

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