Job Overview
The Associate General Counsel, serving as Executive Director of Legal Services under the direction of the General Counsel, provides legal advice, representation, and support on matters related to U.S. and Texas law, Board policy, and district operations. This role leads legal functions across the district and supervises assigned legal staff.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Legal Advice and Compliance
- Advise district and campus leaders on legal matters involving federal/state law, board policy, and administrative regulations.
- Draft legal opinions and memoranda on matters such as the Texas Education Code, IDEA, FERPA, employment law, and governance.
- Conduct legal research and provide interpretations of laws and regulations impacting public education.
- Monitor legal developments and provide guidance on implementation of new legislation and regulatory changes.
- Support Human Resources and other departments with legal advice on personnel matters and employment practices.
- Provide counsel on district elections, student matters, and compliance risks.
- Foster strong collaborative relationships with district departments and external legal partners.
- Represent the district at board meetings and other official functions as directed to include formal presentations.
Contractual and Document Review
- Draft, review, and revise contracts, agreements, policies, and other legal documents to ensure legal sufficiency and alignment with district operations.
- Ensure that all district communications and agreements comply with applicable legal mandates.
Litigation/Investigation/Hearings
- Coordinate and support responses to grievances, investigations, and hearings.
- Manage district responses to agencies such as TEA, OCR, EEOC, and U.S. Department of Education.
- Guide internal investigations, including employee or stakeholder complaints, ensuring legal compliance and risk mitigation.
Public Information and Records Management
- Provide legal guidance on the Texas Public Information Act, subpoenas, litigation discovery, and expunctions.
- Oversee the district’s Public Information and Records Management functions, ensuring accurate and timely responses.
Supervisory Responsibilities
- Provide direct supervision and support to assigned legal staff.
- Assist in processes established for recruitment, hiring, evaluation, and professional development for assigned legal staff.
- Initiate personnel actions including documentation and termination under the guidance of Human Resources.
- Address complaints and resolve problems in a timely manner.
Qualification Requirements
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each of the above essential duties satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or abilities, required unless otherwise stated as preferred. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essentials functions.
- Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited school of law, required.
- Licensed to practice law in the State of Texas and a member in good standing with the State Bar of Texas, required.
- Minimum of 3 years of experience in administrative proceedings, grievance hearings, and litigation in Texas or US courts, required.
- Minimum of 3 years of experience in the practice of law concentrating in issues arising from Texas public schools or other local, state, or federal government agencies, required.
- Minimum of 1 year of experience in drafting, reviewing and revising legal contracts and service agreements, required.
- Previous experience within a public school or higher education, preferred.
- Experience in K-12 education law, including student rights, FERPA, employment law, and governance, preferred.
- Experience advising on compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504, and related special education regulations/ laws, preferred.
- Experience with civil rights law, election law, open meetings, and public information laws, preferred.
- Effective public speaking abilities, including presentations and trainings
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, both orally and in writing
- Proficient with personal computer using Microsoft Office and other software
- Ability to multi-task and prioritize work
- Ability to work independently with a high degree of initiative and self-motivation