Senior Legal Counsel - 1.0 FTE - General Counsel

Description:

Posting Timeline
This job is open until filled. Applications will be reviewed as received. Portland Public Schools reserves the right to make a hiring decision at any point during the posting period.

Position Details:
As a senior member of the District's legal team, your work will have districtwide impact. You will help leaders make difficult decisions with clarity and confidence, protect the District's legal interests, support productive labor relationships, and promote practices that are consistent, equitable, legally sound, and aligned with the needs of students, employees, and the broader community. Most importantly, your work will be in service to over 41,000 students every day, so that they can thrive and succeed.

Basic Function:
As part of a legal team serving a dynamic urban school district, provide senior-level, strategic legal counsel and representation on complex legal matters, with a concentration in labor and employment matters affecting Portland Public Schools. Serve as a principal legal advisor to Human Resources, Employee and Labor Relations, executive leaders, and other assigned clients. Independently manage high-risk matters, litigation, administrative proceedings, collective bargaining support and contract interpretation, and legal-compliance initiatives. Translate evolving law and organizational risk into practical, equity-centered guidance that supports sound decisions, consistent practices, effective operations, and the District's educational mission.

Representative Duties:
The classification specification does not describe all duties performed by all incumbents within the class. This summary provides examples of typical tasks performed in this classification.

• Serve as senior counsel on complex labor and employment matters, including employee relations, discipline and discharge, workplace investigations, discrimination, harassment and retaliation, disability accommodation, protected leave, wage and hour, benefits, employee privacy, public records, and other statutory, regulatory, contractual, and policy requirements. “E”
• Provide timely, practical, and strategic legal advice to Human Resources, Employee and Labor Relations, executive leaders, and other assigned clients; evaluate legal and operational risk, identify options and tradeoffs, and recommend defensible courses of action aligned with District priorities and values. “E”
• Interpret collective bargaining agreements and labor law; advise on grievances, unfair labor practice complaints, information requests, contract administration, protected activity, labor-management issues. Support collective bargaining preparation and negotiations by identifying legal issues, analyzing proposals, developing language and risk assessments, preparing bargaining strategy, and advising District leadership; represent and advise on implementation of negotiated agreements. Represent or support the District in arbitrations, mediations, fact-finding, and other proceedings. . “E”
• Manage significant litigation, administrative charges, and contested matters from early assessment through resolution, including preservation and discovery, pleadings, motions, witness preparation, hearings, trials, appeals, settlement strategy, and implementation of outcomes. “E”
• Conduct, direct, and/or provide legal guidance for sensitive workplace investigations and related decision making; ensure processes are thorough, impartial, trauma-informed as appropriate, legally compliant, and responsive to the rights and dignity of all involved. “E”
• Draft and review employment agreements, separation agreements, settlement agreements, collective bargaining language, policies, administrative directives, procedures, Board materials, correspondence, legal opinions, and other legal or quasi-legal documents. “E”
• Monitor changes in federal and state law, regulations, agency guidance, court decisions, and labor and employment trends; assess districtwide implications and translate developments into clear guidance, training, policy changes, compliance strategies, and implementation plans. “E”
• Lead cross-functional legal and compliance initiatives involving Human Resources, school and department leaders, Finance, Risk Management, Operations, Communications, and other partners.
• Partner with leaders to design and continuously improve policies, processes, tools, and governance that reduce legal risk, promote consistency, and strengthen organizational effectiveness. “E”
• Advise on Title IX employment-related obligations and the intersection of Title IX with labor and employment law, workplace investigations, and personnel actions. “E”
• Evaluate and adopt legal technology tools and other processes to improve the efficiency and quality of legal services. “E”
• Select, direct, and evaluate outside counsel and expert resources for assigned matters within delegated authority; establish matter strategy, monitor performance and costs, and pursue effective and fiscally responsible resolution. “E”
• Prepare and present privileged briefings, legal opinions, risk assessments, and recommendations to the General Counsel, Superintendent, senior leadership, and Board of Education as assigned; provide legal advice in executive sessions and public meetings when requested. “E”
• Assess the employee, student, operational, and community impacts of legal strategies and decisions; collaborate with leaders on communication, implementation, and risk-mitigation approaches in politically sensitive or high-profile matters. “E”
• Develop and deliver training, tools, and guidance for administrators, supervisors, Human Resources staff, and other employees on labor and employment law, collective bargaining agreements, workplace expectations, investigations, and compliance responsibilities. “E”
• Provide legal leadership within assigned matters by coaching less-experienced attorneys and staff, sharing expertise, reviewing work as assigned, and promoting consistent, high-quality legal service and sound professional judgment. “E”
• Demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to racial equity and social justice; apply the District's Racial Educational Equity Policy and other Board policies; identify and address inequitable impacts in legal advice, policies, investigations, labor and employment practices, and organizational decisions. “E”
• Maintain the confidentiality and integrity of attorney-client communications, attorney work product, personnel information, and other highly sensitive records; model the highest standards of ethics, professional responsibility, and public stewardship. “E”
• Represent the District in professional, governmental, labor-management, and community settings as assigned and build productive relationships that support effective resolution of legal and organizational issues. “E”
• Provide legal guidance and support in other substantive areas as part of District's in-house legal team. “E”
• Perform related duties as assigned.

Note: At the end of some of the duty statements there is an italicized “E”, which identifies essential duties required of the classification. This is strictly for use in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Knowledge and Abilities:
Knowledge of:

• Federal and Oregon labor and employment laws, regulations, agency processes, and court decisions applicable to public employers and K–12 school districts.
• Labor relations, collective bargaining, contract administration, grievance and arbitration processes, unfair labor practices, and public-sector labor strategy.
• Employment discrimination, harassment, retaliation, disability accommodation, protected leave, Title IX, wage and hour, benefits, employee privacy, workplace investigations, discipline, pay equity, and due process.
• Litigation, administrative process, mediation, arbitration, negotiation, discovery, and alternative dispute-resolution practices.
• Constitutional, administrative, public-records, public-meetings, and education law, especially as they intersect with labor and employment matters.
• Legal risk assessment, policy development, organizational governance, change implementation, and internal consulting practices.
• Operations, workforce practices, political context, and community expectations affecting large, diverse urban public school systems.
• Federal and state requirements governing employment eligibility verification and immigration-related employment obligations.
• Racial equity and social justice principles and the ways employment systems, policies, and legal decisions may create or perpetuate disparate impacts.
• Professional responsibility, attorney-client privilege, work-product protection, records preservation, and confidentiality requirements.
• Principles of project leadership, adult learning, coaching, and effective written and oral communication.

Ability to:

• Provide clear, candid, and actionable advice to executives, Board members, administrators, Human Resources professionals, and other clients with differing perspectives and levels of legal knowledge.
• Balance legal risk with operational needs, labor-relations strategy, equity considerations, fiscal stewardship, educational priorities, and community impact.
• Lead cross-functional work through credibility, influence, facilitation, and disciplined follow-through without relying on formal

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