Allentown School District · 1 day ago
Chief Legal Officer
Allentown, PA
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
$180K/yr - $200K/yr
7+ years expAllentown School District is seeking a Chief Legal Officer to provide legal support to the Superintendent and School Board of Directors. The role involves overseeing all legal services for the district, ensuring legal compliance, and providing strategic guidance on various legal matters affecting the district's operations.
EducationHigher EducationPrimary EducationSecondary Education
Responsibilities
Serve as the Chief Legal Officer and provides legal counsel and guidance to the Superintendent/CEO, School Board Directors, District officers, and senior leadership on all legal matters affecting the District, including but not limited to: employment and labor law; student rights and discipline; special education compliance; real estate transactions; construction and facilities matters; procurement, contracts, grants, and public purchasing; taxation and municipal law; workers' compensation; risk management, insurance, and liability; public finance; civil rights and affirmative action; and compliance with Pennsylvania School Code, federal statutes, and regulatory requirements
Collaborate closely with the District's Solicitor to ensure alignment on legal strategies, compliance matters, and risk management
Coordinate with external legal counsel as needed for specialized matters
Ensure the district adheres to all local, state, and federal laws, regulations, and policies
Evaluate and advise on legal risks and issues, providing strategic counsel to District leadership to develop legally sound solutions under conditions that may involve heightened political, financial, public relations, or operational risk and frequently within limited timeframes
Conduct legal research and analysis and prepares clear, timely written and oral opinions and recommendations on a wide variety of complex legal matters affecting district operations and governance
Review, draft, revise, and approve District's policies, administrative regulations, bylaws, resolutions, procedural manuals, contracts, and other governing or legal documents to ensure legal compliance and operational clarity
Negotiate, review, and approve contracts, leases, service agreements, collective bargaining agreements, intergovernmental agreements, MOUs, and grant documents, recommending revisions and ensuring alignment with applicable law, Board policy, and fiscal safeguards
Represent the District or oversees representation in litigation, arbitration, administrative hearings, mediations, investigations, and negotiations with regulatory agencies and governmental bodies, ensuring effective defense and risk mitigation
Serve as the District's Lead Negotiator for all collective bargaining negotiations, coordinating with District administration and participating in strategy development, proposals, mediation, and settlement discussions
Oversee grievance administration and responses, ensuring that contractual grievance processes are executed timely, lawfully, and consistently with collective bargaining agreements, Board policy, and labor law requirements
Select, retain, and manage outside legal counsel and vendors as necessary for specialized legal matters, litigation, investigations, or compliance reviews, including oversight of performance, scope of work, and budget alignment
Provide supervision and leadership to labor relations personnel, and contracted counsel; assign work, review deliverables, and provide consultation on complex or sensitive legal matters
Design and deliver professional learning and training for School Board directors, administrators, supervisors, and staff on legal compliance topics, including labor law, special education, student discipline, investigations, ethics, mandated reporting, civil rights, and public governance requirements
Leverage a solution-oriented and growth-focused mindset to evaluate challenges with rigor and openness, advancing continuous improvement, operational efficiency, and measurable outcomes across the District
Maintain professional expertise through ongoing participation in legal education, professional associations, and regulatory briefings to remain current in evolving state and federal laws affecting public education and employment
Perform other duties as assigned consistent with the scope and responsibilities of the Chief Legal Officer's role
Qualification
Required
Juris Doctorate from an American Bar Association and an accredited law school
Member of the Pennsylvania State Bar and in good standing with the State Bar of Pennsylvania
Minimum of 7-10 years of progressively responsible legal experience, with substantial practice in education law, public sector law, or governmental legal services
Demonstrated expertise in PreK-12 education law, including federal and state education statutes and regulations, special education law (IDEA, Section 504), student rights and discipline, Title IX and compliance, and public records, open meetings, and transparency laws
Strong litigation management experience, including oversight of outside counsel and risk mitigation strategies
Knowledge of local, state, and federal laws and regulations relating to public education, employment law, labor relations, and risk management
Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to translate complex legal issues into practical guidance for non-legal audiences
Thorough knowledge of the legislative process
Ability to read and interpret documents such as law, regulations, policy, and procedures
Ability to communicate effectively in both written and oral forms with all levels of management, both internal and external to the district
Company
Allentown School District
Allentown School District is an urban public school district that provides education from preschool to grade 12.
1001-5000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Malika Savoy, Ed.D.
Deputy Superintendent, Chief Academic Officer
Recent News
The Morning Call
2025-08-01
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2024-11-04
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