Position Overview:

Summit Public Schools is looking for an Associate General Counsel who is a problem-solver, results-oriented, excels at critical thinking and clear writing, and has exceptional interpersonal skills. The candidate must be a highly motivated individual who thrives in an entrepreneurial environment and wants to positively impact the lives of students by improving K-12 public education. You will work directly with and report to the Chief Legal Officer.

Who We Are:

Whatifallstudentsgraduatedhighschoolwiththe knowledge, skills and habits they need to lead a fulfilled life? This is the question that guides our mission at Summit Public Schools. 

Summit is a leading network of public schools that prepare a diverse student population for success in a four-year college and to be thoughtful, contributing members of society. We operate 14 schools serving over 4,500 students in the Bay Area and Washington state. 100% of Summit graduates are college ready and Summit graduates complete college at double the national average.

We need exceptional, diverse, and mission-aligned teachers to join our team to help prepare our students for a fulfilled life. Join us!

What You’ll Do: 

Responsibilities:

The Associate General Counsel will be the second member of the legal team and will support the Chief Legal Officer on a range of issues that impact Summit Public Schools. This is an opportunity with significant responsibility and the opportunity to have an immediate impact on students enrolled in a network of charter schools in California and Washington.

Key Responsibilities will include:

• Provide practical legal and business advice regarding a wide variety of issues.
• Advise on charter school law and education law generally and its application to our schools in California and Washington.
• Oversee and support day-to-day legal issues, including litigation and transactional matters.
• Manage compliance efforts with respect to federal and state laws and regulations.
• Provide legal advice and guide dispute resolution activities related to special education matters.
• Participate in the development and implementation of organizational policies and procedures.
• Provide legal advice on matters related to corporate law, including operations of nonprofit corporations and familiarity with education code and policies.
• Provide training on and actional responses to legal issues and compliance to benefit staff at all levels.

More specifically, you can expect to:

Support Our Schools:

• Support the Diverse Learners team on matters related to special education, including free and appropriate public education.
• Support school leaders on matters related to state and federal law and obligations under our charters.
• Support the Government and Public Affairs team on pending legislation, charter renewals, and external engagement.
• Support implementation of human resources systems and the collective bargaining agreement.
• Attend and monitor meetings of charter authorizers and other oversight agencies to remain current on programs and issues that impact our schools and their respective charters.
• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide variety of commercial and strategic agreements, including service agreements, consulting agreements, and vendor agreements.
• Draft, review, and plan for approvals of governance documents, including board memoranda, resolutions, and policies.
• Provide legal advice and guide school leaders on day-to-day student issues including student safety and well-being, confidentiality, and adherence to school norms.

Support Strategic Services and other Home Office Functions:

• Provide technical expertise, information, and assistance to the network leadership team.
• Ensure compliance with California’s Brown Act, Political Reform Act and Public Records Act, and compliance with Washington’s Open Public Meetings Act, board meeting legal compliance, conflict of interest law compliance, and ongoing compliance with nonprofit laws.
• Advise the governing boards and network leadership teams of trends or pending legislation and recommend appropriate responses.
• Partner with our HR team to ensure compliance with employment law and support HR in resolving employee relations matters.
• Provide legal support to finance and data operations teams.
• Perform related duties to proactively support our schools.

What You Need:

Required Skills & Experience:

• A true passion for our organization's mission to empower all students with the skills necessary to succeed in college, career, and life.
• Bachelor's Degree and Juris Doctor degree from an accredited school of law.
• Member in good standing of the State Bar of California and/or Washington State Bar Association.
• 3-5 years experience in either education law, or legal experience representing a local education agency in some capacity.
• Experience with applicable federal and state laws and regulations relating to public education, including the California Education Code and Revised Code of Washington, with an emphasis on special education and/or employment law preferred.

Who You Are:

• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in cross-functional teams and across diverse stakeholders.
• Excellent interpersonal, writing, communication and presentation skills.
• Outstanding organizational skills with extraordinary attention to detail.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, managing multiple projects, under tight deadlines.
• Ability to analyze statutes and regulations quickly to provide practical advice.
• Ability to independently make decisions balancing legal requirements and business/managerial needs, and to efficiently and effectively communicate with non-lawyers.
• Ability to present complex and sensitive issues to managers in a concise and effective manner.
• Experience taking on projects involving unfamiliar subject matters.
• Ability to collaborate and build relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders.
• Ability to evaluate risk and resolve complex issues in creative and effective ways.
• Proficiency in Google Suite (Docs, Sheets, Slides) or Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).

What You Get: 

In addition to joining a highly motivated team and engaging in meaningful work, you’ll have access to a comprehensive suite of benefits including a retirement plan, “take what you need” personal leave policy, 12 paid holidays, and 3 weeks of organization-wide closures during the year. You and your dependents will have access to multiple health, dental, and vision plans at 25% cost (we cover the other 75%) and employee life and disability insurance at no cost. Our compensation policy strives to be equitable and transparent. The salary for this position starts at $130,302 and goes up to $171,469 commensurate with experience and qualifications. 

Summit is an equal opportunity employer. We believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion are directly intertwined with education. We are ALL better when we are able to bring our whole selves to work and honor each other’s voices across identities, cultural backgrounds, and life experiences. We welcome and encourage applications from individuals who are members of historically marginalized communities. Spanish language proficiency is a plus.

To see Summit Public Schools' full non-discrimination statement as it relates to students and parents along with designated compliance coordinators for each school, see HERE for Washington and HERE for California. To see Summit Public Schools' full non-discrimination statement as it relates to employees, see here for Washington and here for California.