Associate General Counsel

Alliance College-Ready Public Schools is one of the largest and most successful nonprofit public charter school networks in the nation, operating 26 high-performing, middle and high schools that educate nearly 13,000 scholars who make up the heart of Los Angeles’ Latinx, Black, and recent immigrant communities. Alliance schools have been recognized as among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, the U.S. Department of Education, and the California Department of Education. Since opening our first school in 2004, 95% of Alliance scholars have graduated from high school. We strive to uplift our scholars and their communities by fostering unparalleled educational opportunities that encourage scholarly thought, resilient learning, powerful communication, mind-body wellness, and community advocacy. To learn more, visit www.LAalliance.org.

ROLE SUMMARY

Reporting to Alliance’s General Counsel (GC), the Associate General Counsel (AGC) will help develop legal strategy and manage all legal matters at Alliance with a particular focus on employment law and employee relations matters. This role is an exciting opportunity to help shape, plan, organize, direct, and provide oversight to the legal activities of Alliance, its schools, and related entities. 

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide legal advice on employment law issues, including but not limited to employee relations, discrimination, harassment, and wage and hour laws; 

• Provide guidance on California education code, charter school law, corporate, governance, and compliance matters, real estate acquisition and management, labor and employment law, special education, scholar discipline, and other legal issues as they arise;

• Render legal opinions and recommendations based on applicable laws, regulations, and policies; 

• Draft or oversee the drafting of contracts, agreements, leases, and other legal documents;

• Conduct legal research, draft legal memoranda, prepare training materials, draft policies and procedures, and review contracts;

• Oversee litigation matters, including mediations and arbitrations;

• Delegate, as necessary, legal matters to outside legal counsel, and review and manage the work product of outside counsel;

• Advise school leaders and Home Office executive staff on legal matters;

• Attend and provide legal advice at Board meetings;

• Perform other related duties as assigned or directed. 

THE IDEAL CANDIDATES WILL HAVE

• Commitment to Alliance’s core beliefs and educational philosophy;

• Unyielding belief that all scholars can achieve at high levels;

• Deep knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local legislation, statutes, codes, and procedures, including the California Education Code;

• A proven record of effectively planning, organizing, and using resources and systems to provide top-notch legal services to an administration and governing bodies in non-profit and public agencies;

• Proven project management skills with the ability to translate strategies into action;

• Ability to work effectively in a multi-layered organization and possess strong interpersonal skills to build strong relationships with a variety of stakeholders and constituent groups, including external partners as well as school-based and Home Office colleagues;

• Proven ability to work independently as well as in a team setting;

• Superior written and oral communication skills, including the ability to effectively distill and present complex information in a concise way to a variety of audiences (e.g., large groups, staff meetings, executive briefings, public board meetings, memos);

• Proficient use of Microsoft Office and Google-based applications;

• Entrepreneurial spirit to thrive in a fast-paced and achievement-oriented environment;

• Willingness to go above and beyond to contribute to the success of a dynamic team committed to a new future for urban education.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school

• Admittance to the State Bar of California

• Minimum six (6) years of legal experience related to employment law, litigation, labor or education law

WORK LOCATION

This position is a hybrid role that includes a combination of working from home, our network office, and travel to school sites. The successful candidate will be given a $400 work-from-home set-up allowance and receive a monthly stipend of $100.

BENEFITS

In alignment with our commitment to equity for our scholars, Alliance is committed to equity and transparency for our team and offers competitive salaries commensurate with experience as well as generous retirement and health benefits. This position is exempt.

• Hiring Bonus: This position is eligible for a $7,500 hiring bonus paid in two installments over the first year of employment. 

• Relocation: Individuals residing outside of the Greater Los Angeles area are eligible for a relocation bonus of $5,000 for individuals and $7,500 for new staff with families/partners. 

• Health Insurance: Medical, dental, and vision plan options that are covered at 100% of monthly premiums for individual employees and at least $1,000 per month towards medical family plan premiums. Please click HERE for more information on health insurance.

• Retirement: Alliance Home Office employees are eligible for a retirement allowance equal to 7.5% of their regular yearly earnings. Please click HERE for more information on retirement.

• Paid Leave: Regular full-time 12-month employees receive 8.5 weeks of vacation and paid time off. Full-time employees accrue 3 weeks of flexible paid time off per year and receive 27 other paid holidays as part of our network calendar.

• Professional Development: At Alliance, we believe in supporting staff growth and development. Home Office staff are allocated $500 per year for professional development expenses.

COMPENSATION

APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested candidates should submit an application. Please note that only candidates who are selected for an interview will be contacted.

This job description is subject to change at any time based on the evolving needs of the organization.

• Alliance College-Ready Public Schools are tuition-free public charter schools that do not discriminate against any scholar, parent, community member, or staff member based on actual or perceived ancestry, age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.

• Alliance College-Ready Public Schools requires that all team members be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 for the safety of our students, family, and staff. Team members may apply to seek a medical exemption. Regardless of your current vaccination status, our team can advise you on how to fulfill this important requirement so that you can start the position in a timely way.

• Research shows that while men apply to jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the requirements, women and other underrepresented people tend to only apply when they match every criterion. If you think you meet some of the qualifications, but don't necessarily check every box in the job description, we encourage you to still apply. If you have questions contact the Staffing Team at JoinUs@laalliance.org.