Closing Date: 28th July, 2026

Description:

Job Summary:
Milwaukee Public Schools is actively recruiting experienced and committed candidates for the Chief Legal Officer (Legal Operations) position.

The Chief Legal Officer (Legal Operations) leads the District's legal operations function, serving as the single client-side point of contact among the Office of the City Attorney, retained outside counsel, and District departments. This cabinet-level position - classified as equivalent to a Chief Advisor role - is responsible for coordinating and improving how the District requests, assigns, manages, and pays for legal work, with the goals of efficiency, disciplined risk management, and reduced outside-counsel costs. Consistent with Wis. Stat. 119.12(6), the Milwaukee City Attorney remains the legal adviser of and attorney for the Milwaukee Board of School Directors, and outside counsel is retained on a matter-specific basis where specialized expertise, staffing limitations, or a conflict of interest applies. The Chief Legal Officer manages and coordinates the legal function as the District's sophisticated client; the position does not serve as the Board's attorney of record and does not provide the legal advice or representation reserved to the City Attorney or to properly retained outside counsel.

The Chief Legal Officer works closely with the Office of the Superintendent, the Office of the City Attorney, retained outside counsel, Human Resources, Employee and Labor Relations, Finance, Procurement, the Office of Board Governance, and District departments to route matters appropriately, manage engagements and budgets, and strengthen the District's legal risk posture.

Hiring Range: $170,000 - 180,000 (260 days)

How to Apply:
Applications for position are being accepted by the Office of Human Resources through Tuesday, July 28, 2026.

A current resume must be attached to the completed application. Additionally, ALL candidates must attach transcripts confirming the required degrees (unofficial transcripts can be submitted, however official transcripts will be required upon hire).

If you are unable to electronically attach these documents, you must notify human resources that you are sending hard copies, HR@milwaukee.k12.wi.us.

If you are selected for the next stage of the interview process, you will be contacted via email to submit an electronic professional reference. Identified references will receive an online reference check to complete.

No applications or application materials will be accepted after the deadline date.

Appointment is subject to a criminal background check, a drug/alcohol test and credential verification.

Questions regarding this position or the application process should be directed to Dana Berlin, banksdm@milwaukee.k12.wi.us

Qualifications:
Minimum Qualifications:

Juris Doctor from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
Bachelor's degree in Law, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a related field.
Minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible legal, legal-operations, in- house legal management, outside-counsel management, or litigation management experience.
Demonstrated experience managing outside counsel and controlling legal spend.

Preferred Qualifications:

Active license to practice law in the State of Wisconsin (a licensed attorney in this role functions in a management and operations capacity and does not act as the Board's counsel of record).
Five (5) or more years of experience in a legal-operations, general counsel, or legal- management leadership role.
Experience working within a public-sector, K-12, higher education, governmental, or large complex unionized organization.
Familiarity with Wisconsin municipal and school law (ch. 119), public records law, and Eastern District of Wisconsin practice.
Experience with matter-management systems, legal project management, and enterprise risk management.
Demonstrated record of reducing outside-counsel expenditures through process improvement.

Responsibilities:

Serves as the District's single point of contact for legal operations, coordinating among the Office of the City Attorney, retained outside counsel, and District departments so that legal work is organized, tracked, and moved efficiently.
Manages the intake, triage, and assignment of legal matters, routing each request promptly to the appropriate resource.
Administers the retention and management of outside counsel consistent with Wis. Stat.119.12(6), including scoping engagements, competitive selection, fee and rate negotiation, billing guidelines, budgeting, and invoice review.
Monitors and reports outside-counsel spend against budget and identifies opportunities to consolidate vendors, insource coordination, and reduce cost.
Leads legal project management across matters, deadlines, and deliverables, and provides regular status reporting to the Superintendent and, as directed, to the Board and its committees.
Builds and maintains an enterprise legal-risk register; identifies, prioritizes, and helps mitigate legal and compliance exposure across departments.
Coordinates litigation holds, preservation, and discovery logistics in partnership with counsel, information technology, and records.
Supports contract intake, tracking, and lifecycle management in coordination with Procurement and counsel review.
Establishes and maintains District legal policies, templates, playbooks, and standard operating procedures for recurring legal needs.
Prepares and coordinates legal items, materials, scheduling, and follow-up for the Board and its committees, in coordination with the Office of Board Governance and counsel.
Develops and reports key metrics, including matter volume, cycle time, spend, and risk trends, to drive continuous improvement.
Maintains strict confidentiality and exercises sound judgment in handling sensitive and politically significant matters.
Performs other duties as assigned.