Attorney Advisor in the Office of General Counsel

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Job Summary

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) is the State Education Agency for the District of Columbia charged with raising the quality of education for all DC residents. OSSE serves as the District’s liaison to the U.S. Department of Education and works closely with the District’s 470 early childhood facilities, 250 schools, 60 local education agencies (including DCPS and charter organizations), and community-based organizations to provide critical programming and resources to our stakeholders. OSSE is focused on sustaining, accelerating, and deepening the progress being made for the District’s 90,000 students.

This position is located in OSSE’s Office of the General Counsel (OGC). The OGC is the legal office within the agency, providing legal advice and guidance to the State Superintendent, the leadership team, and programmatic staff across all divisions. Legal practice areas include, but are not limited to special education, civil rights compliance, grants, contracts, student health, labor and employment, student privacy, regulatory enforcement, and administrative law. OSSE’s OGC is seeking an attorney to serve as Attorney Advisor to provide support for various federal and local education programs at the state level. 

Duties and Responsibilities

The incumbent will represent the agency in hearings and prepare necessary documentation to support cases. The attorney will assist the Office and/or the Office of the Attorney General with litigation. They will confer with, and incorporate the concerns of the District Government officials, members of administrative bodies, and officials outside of the District Government regarding actions taken against the District of Columbia. The Attorney Advisor will keep abreast of changes in laws and regulations related to the function of programs and recommends appropriate courses of action.

Additional duties include but are not limited to reviewing cases and documents to ensure support of legal positions. The incumbent will provide expert legal advice and conduct extensive reviews of various legal documents, and provides statements of reason, drafts letters, memoranda, and recommendations. They will be responsible for consulting management and supervisors on legalities that affects their mission and provide clarification of policies statutes and legislation. They will review and evaluate existing statutes and regulations to determine the need for regulations or amendments or new administrative and enforcement procedures; and will recommend changes and draft new legislation and amendments of the same as needed. The incumbent will perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Education

Applicants must possess a LLB or Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association at the time of appointment. 

Minimum of two (2) years of post J.D. professional legal experience is preferred. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled.  

Licensures and Certifications 

Applicants must be an active member in good standing of the District of Columbia Bar or must be admitted in another United States jurisdiction, be eligible to waive in, and be admitted within 365 days of appointment. If eligible to waiver, incumbent must submit an application for admission to the District of Columbia Bar prior to commencing employment.  An appointee to the Legal Service position shall remain a member in good standing of the District of Columbia Bar during his/her employment in the Legal Service.