Attorney (On-Site)

JOHNSTON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

JOB DESCRIPTION

POSITION:                                      Attorney (On-Site)

LOCATION:                                     School Improvement Services

SALARY:                                         Salary for this position is competitive commensurate

                                                      with prior experience.

TERM OF EMPLOYMENT:                12 Months

REPORTS TO:                                 Superintendent

POSITION OVERVIEW:  The On-Site Attorney serves as the legal counsel embedded within the school district, providing day-to-day legal advice, risk management, and representation across a wide range of education-related matters. Reporting to the Superintendent, this attorney supports the district’s leadership, administrators, and staff in navigating statutes, policies, and regulatory frameworks unique to K-12 public education.

QUALIFICATIONS AND ATTRIBUTES:

• Must have a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Must have an active license to practice law in North Carolina.
• Minimum 3-5 years of experience in education law, government, civil litigation, or administrative law.
• Experience with K-12 school matters is strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of North Carolina specific statutes and public school legal frameworks.
• Ability to interpret and apply laws, regulations, and policy to real-world educational scenarios.
• Ability to conduct legal research, drafting, and clear communication skills (both written and verbal).
• Must be able to demonstrate the capacity to make sound, objective judgments under time constraints.
• Must possess strong interpersonal and collaboration skills; ability to work with diverse stakeholders including administrators, board members, and staff.
• Must be detail-oriented, ethically grounded, and proactive in identifying and resolving legal issues.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Legal Counsel and Compliance

• Advise administrators, school board members, and staff on state and federal laws, including student discipline, special education, Title IX, and school safety protocols.
• Ensure district policies and practices comply with North Carolina General Statutes, federal mandates (e.g., IDEA, ADA), and NC Department of Public Instruction guidelines.

Policy Development and Governance

• Draft, review, and update board policies, handbooks, contracts, and memoranda of understanding.
• Prepare legal briefings for school board meetings, ensuring open-meetings compliance and accurate reporting under the North Carolina Meetings Law.
• Draft and review contracts submitted by school staff and various departments; collaborate with outside agencies to create contracts that protect the interests of the District; attend meetings or telephone conferences to discuss contract issues or to resolve disputes; make recommendations on revision or amendments to contracts.
• Monitor and maintain compliance with laws and regulations related to public records.
• Respond to public information requests, coordinate the retrieval of information and address questions as necessary.

Litigation and Dispute Resolution

• Manage and oversee school-related litigation, including student or staff disciplinary appeals, employment disputes, and civil rights claims.
• Represent the district in administrative proceedings and, when necessary, coordinate with external counsel.

Training and Education

• Develop and deliver training for staff on legal topics such as FERPA, mandated reporting, anti-discrimination policies, and liability prevention.

Risk Management and Investigations

• Evaluate potential liabilities and recommend risk mitigation strategies.
• Conduct or supervise internal investigations (e.g., harassment, Title IX, ethics issues).

Collaborations and Partnerships

• Serve as liaison with external entities such as other education law firms that specialize in representation of public school systems.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must possess a valid NC driver’s license.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with parents, teachers, students, administrators, community leaders, agency representatives and others.
• Must be adaptable to performing under stress and when confronted with emergency situations.

DISCLAIMERS: The above statements are intended to describe the general purpose and responsibilities assigned to this position. They are not intended to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and skills that may be required of the employee assigned to this position. This description may be revised at any time. 

Johnston County Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in the employment or promotion of employees on the basis of gender, race, religion, age, national origin or disability.