General Counsel - Sacramento, United States - InsideHigherEd

Description

The Position

Title: General Counsel

Position Type: Full time

Requisition No: 24060

Category: Administration

Supervisor: President and CEO

Last Updated: October 2023

Job Purpose: Provides counsel, support, and advice on all legal matters related to the operation of the College

Location: Remote, various locations throughout California.

Salary Range: The beginning salary range for this position is Range EX-9, (Steps 1-3) $213, $235,539.60.

The first review of applications shall occur on approximately June 18, 2024

Position Overview

Under the supervision of the President and CEO of Calbright College, provides counsel, support, and advice on all legal matters related to the operation of the College, including the development and revision of all Board Policies and Administrative Procedures; coordination of the College's legal affairs and services; and serves as the legal counselor and advisor to senior and executive administrators. Oversees complex legal responsibilities for the College and coordinates claims and litigation activity with risk management and human resources for the purpose of assessing liability, insurance coverage and indemnity. In addition, is responsible for overseeing and coordinating a variety of complex and sensitive assignments that have a system-wide impact.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities

The duties below are representative of the role and are not intended to cover all of the duties performed within the scope of work.

• Provides oversight and follow-up on materials from all segments of the College for the Board of Trustees.
• Serves as the primary subject matter expert and advisor to senior and executive leadership for all legal activities
• Assists the administration in coordinating the Calbright College's legal affairs, including the handling of civil litigation, administrative hearings, contract review and drafting, business negotiations.
• Acts as the primary liaison to coordinate and manage the work assigned to external legal firms, including developing and communicating scope of work, ensuring timely feedback, interpreting legal opinions, and reviewing and approving legal billings.
• Maintains a current status report inventory of all outstanding claims and litigation for area of responsibility.
• Receives, reviews, logs, processes and monitors all lawsuits and discovery documents including subpoenas, requests for production of documents, requests for admissions, California Public Records Act (PRA) requests, and deposition notices.
• Serves as the primary architect for the development, review and revision of legal documents, resolutions, Board Policies (BP) and Administrative Procedures (AP), including presentation to the Board of Trustees; works with all stakeholders to ensure that all policies and procedures are up-to-date, timely, and effectively represent their interests.
• Assists with risk management, including managing the investigation, evaluation, and resolution of complex legal disputes including, regulatory, governmental, and highly sensitive matters, both litigated and non-litigated.
• Assists with facilities planning and development, including managing the investigation, evaluation, and resolution of complex legal disputes related to construction claims and activity, both litigated and non-litigated.
• Serves as the primary reviewer of contractual language to ensure the interests of Calbright College.
• Coordinates the distribution of all appropriate legal communication for Calbright College.
• In coordination with Human Resources and Employee Relations, provides guidance and assistance in the areas of diversity, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Equal Opportunity Employment, sexual harassment, gender and sexual orientation sensitivity, discrimination, retaliation, and other human resources compliance issues.
• Assists Human Resources with regard to personnel investigations and other employee relations matters, and recruitment and screening processes for all new hires and employee promotional opportunities, to maintain compliance with the District's diversity, equity, and compliance programs.
• Attends and/or coordinates attendance of required parties at administrative hearings, settlement conferences, depositions, trials, arbitrations, and mediations in connection with open claims and litigations.
• Monitors industrial and non-industrial interactive process outcomes with Human Resources.
• Responsible for managing the budget of assigned area and preparation of monthly legal expense reports.
• Conducts in-service training programs and workshops regarding legal issues, legislation, court decisions, and trends as needed.
• Works on special projects in response to needs as assigned by the President and CEO of Calbright College.
• Perform other related duties as assigned that support the objective of the position.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Files, records and report management techniques;
• Litigation management processes and communication requirements;
• Litigation best practices and processes to best represent the interests of Calbright College;
• Professional and tactful negotiation and persuasion skills to achieve objectives within the legal and governmental communities;
• Communication methods to articulate points and information to constituency groups;
• Problem solving techniques and analytical principles for situational analysis and the ability to offer counsel and advice on legal and policy-related matters;
• Modern office equipment, practices, and software;
• Demonstrated understanding of, sensitivity to, and respect for the diverse academic, socio-economic, ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds, disability, and sexual orientation of community college students, staff and faculty.
• Maintain an understanding of current ideas, research and practices pertaining to the areas of responsibility for this position, through continued study and participation in professional organizations.
• Maintain confidentiality of communications, records, reports, etc.;
• Perform a variety of duties in support of the College's legal program;
• Learn and adapt to operations, policies and objectives of the College;
• Meet schedules, timelines, and deadlines;
• Communicate highly complex and difficult legal issues and matters effectively, both orally and in writing, and establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with others;
• Compile, analyze, and interpret highly complex legal information to facilitate decision-making;
• Work cooperatively with Calbright College's departments and the public;
• Investigate and assess litigation and legal issues and offer sound advice;
• Recommend areas of need for the development of the College's legal program;
• Provide input relative to the performance of outside counsel.
• Demonstrate understanding of, sensitivity to, and respect for the diverse academic, socio-economic, ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds, disability, and sexual orientation of community college students, staff and faculty.

Minimum Qualifications

• Required possession of a law degree from a regionally accredited college or university and at least 5 years of experience practicing law, which includes at least 3 years of experience working within an institution of higher education, public school systems, or other public agencies interpreting and applying education law and regulations, Government Code, and labor and employment law.
• Must be in good standing with the California State Bar Association and currently licensed to practice law in the State of California.
• Experience working with California Community College Districts is highly desired.

Working Conditions and Travel

• Calbright College is a statewide online college where all instruction and support are done via various online technologies both in person and remotely. Calbright College has administrative offices in Sacramento available for use. When working remotely, employees should be able and willing to use digital communication tools as used by the college, and have the ability to work on a computer for extended periods of time.
• Regular attendance is considered an essential job function; the inability to meet attendance requirements may preclude the employee from retaining employment.
• The person holding this position is considered a mandated reporter under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in Calbright College policies, procedures, and Title IX.
• Calbright College celebrates all forms of diversity and is deeply committed to fostering an inclusive environment within which students, staff, administrators, and faculty thrive. Individuals interested in advancing Calbright College's strategic diversity goals are strongly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodations will be provided for qualified applicants with disabilities who self-disclose.
• Requires the ability to function in a remote online instructional environment performing work of primarily a sedentary nature. Requires the ability to use hearing and speech to make presentations to groups and carry on conversations over the phone and in-person. Requires speaking skills to communicate with staff and students in one-on-one and small group settings, on the phone, and to distinguish sound prompts from various types of equipment. Requires near visual acuity to read printed materials and computer screens. Requires sufficient hand/arm/finger dexterity to retrieve work materials, operate a personal computer keyboard, and operate standard office equipment. Requires the ability to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Work is performed indoors where minimal safety considerations exist.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Calbright College provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, veteran status, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Calbright College complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.

Who We Are

Calbright College is one of California's newest community colleges – the first statewide, online campus designed to bridge the gap between employers with unfilled positions and students who don't have either the time or money to attend a traditional school. Our mission is to increase economic mobility and close equity gaps for working adults who lack easy access to traditional forms of higher education by offering online, flexible, affordable skills-based programs that provide tangible economic value for both working adults and hiring managers.