Legal Specialist

Interrelations:

• Contact with personnel within the district and with customers and vendors
• Will be working with a diverse population requiring the ability to handle all situations with tact and diplomacy
• Must understand and respond appropriately to customer needs and maintain a positive attitude with all customers and colleagues
• Expected to interact with all internal and external customers in a friendly, professional manner and provide quick, responsive customer service

Employee Punctuality and Appearance:

• In order for schools to operate effectively, employees are expected to perform all assigned duties and work all scheduled hours during each designated workday, unless the employee has received approved leave
• Any deviation from assigned hours must have prior approval from the employee’s supervisor or building administrator
• All employees are required to report to work dressed in a manner that reflects a positive image of USD 259 and is appropriate for their position

Qualification Profile:

• High School Diploma or GED required
• 5-7 years’ experience performing executive or legal secretarial functions preferred
• 3 years of legal office experience involving document preparation and coordination with legal counsel
• Advance level computer skills required
• Valid Kansas Driver’s License

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Position Specifics:

Job Title: Legal Specialist

Position Function\: The Legal Specialist provides a variety of highly responsible, confidential, and complex legal secretarial and paralegal duties in support of the General Counsel.  This position also serves in a back-up capacity for the Board Clerk.

Essential Performance Responsibilities\: 

• Prepares and processes pleading and documents requiring knowledge of legal format, terminology and procedures

• Researches, gathers, and organizes pertinent data and information into manageable formats for reports, legal opinions, and staff use

• Maintains a schedule of appointments and arranges and schedules conferences and interviews

• Assists in litigation being handled by outside counsel

• Drafts and reviews contracts and agreements from all areas of the district under the direction and supervision of the General Counsel, including but not limited to vendor contracts, agreements with outside consultants, construction and architectural agreements

• Monitors and interprets relevant state and federal statutes, regulations, and pending legislation as they apply to school district operations

• Prepares, processes, and files legal documents, pleadings, and motions with the appropriate courts for all district-related legal matters, including but not limited to personnel issues, litigation, and student matters. 

• Acts as a primary liaison for the filing and retrieval of documents from court systems to support the General Counsel and outside counsel in active litigation

• Coordinates the preparation and issuance of subpoenas for various administrative and judicial proceedings; facilitates meetings with district court judges to obtain necessary signatures and ensures proper service of process

• Obtains and organizes pertinent evidence, records, and data from district departments for use in court filings and legal opinions

• Knowledge of Kansas Tort Claims Act and claims against the district

• Reviews family law matters pertaining to parental contact with students at school, clarification of custodial issues for staff pertaining to students

• Reviews subpoenas received by the district; reviews responses prepared by district staff under the supervision and direction of the General Counsel

• Assists with responding to Department of Education Office of Civil Rights (OCR) complaints

• Assists with responding to complaints filed with the Kansas Human Resources Commission and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or assists outside counsel in preparation of same

• Reviews domestic orders

• Responsible for assisting with real estate law (acquisition, sale, etc.), special education law (due process), Section 504 law, Americans with Disabilities Act issues, employment law, civil rights issues, health care law, technology law, open records law (Kansas Open Records Act), construction law (contracts and claims), Professional Negotiations Act law, Title IX law, first amendment issues (religion and speech), constitutional law, policy drafts (from a legal standpoint), [not so much], IRS code as applied to school districts, criminal trespass (parent bans), FERPA, FMLA, worker’s compensation, Public Employer-Employee Relations Act, and land use law

• Provide legal secretarial support to the general counsel and legal staff including but not limited to all copying, mailing, filing of outgoing documents

• Assists the General Counsel in reviewing and monitoring Data Privacy Agreements (DPAs) and Data Use Agreements (DUAs) with third-party educational technology vendors to ensure compliance with FERPA, SOPPA, and district-specific security standards

• Manages the identification, preservation, and collection of relevant electronic records (emails, chat logs, and cloud files) in response to litigation, OCR complaints, or Kansas Open Records Act (KORA) requests

• Provides administrative support in the event of a data breach, including organizing required legal notifications and maintaining a log of remedial actions taken by the district

• Oversees the legal department’s digital filing system, ensuring that all confidential legal briefs, contracts, and court orders are organized, searchable, and stored according to district retention policies

• Oversees and manages case notes for all matters brought into the Legal Services Department

Additional Duties\: Assists with additional duties as assigned by supervisor.

Equipment\: This position requires the ability to use interactive technology and displays in addition to basic office equipment such as computers, copiers, scanners, and fax machine. Must always comply with USD 259’s guidelines for equipment use.

Travel: Limited travel between schools and central offices may be required.

Physical & Mental Demands:

• Works in standard office and school building environments

   

• Additional demands upon request of General Counsel, Associate General Counsel, Superintendent and other District leadership
• Must be able to respond rapidly in emergency situations

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of Kansas court rules, filing procedures (including electronic filing systems), and the legal requirements for valid subpoenas
• Ability to maintain professional working relationships with court clerks, judges, and government personnel to ensure timely processing of district legal business
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with all levels of School District, Court and Government personnel and the general public
• Ability to read, review, analyze, and proofread legal documents, professional journals, memoranda, technical procedures, or governmental regulations
• Ability to type legal briefs, pleadings, real estate, and government documents, correspondence and legal minutes
• Ability to organize information and material into manageable form
• Displays a significant degree of professionalism and confidentiality
• Ability to conform to proper standards of professional dress and appearance
• Knowledge of the District’s mission, purpose, goals and the role of every employee in achieving each of them
• An understanding of the ethical use of AI in legal research and document drafting.