ALAMO COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
JOB DESCRIPTION
OPERATING TITLE: GENERAL COUNSEL
Class Code: 4351
DESCRIPTION OF WORK
General Statement of Duties:
Responsible
for the provision of all legal services to ACCD, including assistance to the
Chancellor, Trustees, Administrators, and Staff. Activities include monitoring the District’s compliance
with constitutions, laws and regulations.
Responsibilities also include supervising and disposing of legal matters
in many legal practice areas including: employment, insurance, contract development/negotiations,
commercial transactions, real estate and leasing, purchasing, construction,
intellectual property law, technology law, student matters, and expertise in
the development of policies and procedures.
Supervision received: Administrative direction
Supervision exercised: Upper level manager
RESPONSIBLE TO: Chancellor
EXAMPLES OF DUTIES*
Responds
to routine inquiries from District and college personnel in the form of written
legal opinions and discussions with various councils, committees, and
individuals at all levels of ACCD.
Reviews
major adverse employment actions to manage ACCD’s legal risks, ensure
compliance with federal and state law and act in fairness and with respect to
all employees, regardless to their actions and circumstances.
Works
closely with the District Department of Employee Services and the District
Ethics and Compliance Officer to ensure that ACCD’s employment practices comply
with Board policy and state and federal law.
Maintains
an active, cost-effective program of alternative dispute resolution, especially
mediation, arbitration, and facilitated process, to intervene early and
effectively in a wide range of disputes among and between ACCD employees and
administrators and between ACCD and external parties.
Performs
legal duties and functions on behalf of the District; this may involve
occasional preparation of legal documents. More commonly, supervises and serves
as ACCD’s liaison with outside counsel, both retained and provided by ACCD’s
insurers.
Prepares,
reviews, and drafts legal documents, letters, policies, position papers, and
other materials.
Conducts
trials and hearings in state, federal, and local courts; more commonly,
supervises trials in which ACCD is represented by outside counsel.
Manages
the operations of the Office of Legal Services (OLS) including budget review
and hiring, retaining and supervising department personnel.
Procures,
coordinates and maintains excellent, cost-effective outside legal services in
areas such as taxation, intellectual property, immigration, appellate practice,
administrative law, election law, and other specialized practice areas.
Confers
with legal counsel of other governmental entities concerning matters affecting
the District.
In
collaboration with the District Ethics and Compliance Officer, insures that District
policies and procedures comply with laws, regulations and codes.
Trains
administrators and staff on legal matters, including changes in laws and
regulations.
Attends
all regular and special meetings of the Board and any other meetings at the
direction of the Chancellor.
Provides
counsel on legal matters relating to legislative activities.
Serves
as the ACCD’s Election Administrator and liaison with the District’s election
consultant. This involves administering trustee elections as well as bond or
annexation elections in an ethical and transparent manner. Supervises the ACCD
Election Clerk, typically an Administrative Assistant of the Office of Legal
Services.
Consults
with bond counsel to counsel ACCD in public finance matters.
Collaborates
with and advises the District Department of Internal Audit and others as
required on legal aspects of the District’s external and internal audits.
Counsels
Environmental Health and Safety and Risk Management staff in managing ACCD’s
risks, including but not limited to worker’s compensation, insurance,
environmental health and safety and life safety and building code compliance.
Provide
legal support to the ACCD Department of Public Safety
*Any
one position may not include all of the tasks listed, nor do the examples
necessarily include all of the tasks performed.
QUALIFICATIONS
FOR APPOINTMENT
Knowledge:
A
broad array of legal practice areas relating to federal, state, and local laws,
including but not limited to employment, transactional, administrative,
criminal, civil trial, worker’s compensation, environmental, insurance defense,
intellectual property, post-employment benefits, construction and public
finance law.
Of
federal, state, and local government agencies and methods of operations.
Abilities
To
communicate effectively, both orally and in writing. Excellent writing skills.
To
establish and maintain effective working relations with ACC administrators,
faculty, staff, and all persons contacted in the course of performing assigned
duties.
To
conduct legal research and prepare legal opinions to meet clients’ needs and
expectations.
EDUCATION:
A Juries Doctorate degree from an
accredited law school in the
EXPERIENCE:
Minimum: Seven years of legal experience
preferably demonstrating progressive skill development in solving increasingly
complex multi-party disputes; currently licensed in good standing to practice
law in
Preferred: Ten years of legal experience,
preferably demonstrating progressive skill development in solving increasingly
complex multi-party disputes; currently licensed in good standing to practice
law in
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Sedentary
Work: Exerting up
to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force
frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects,
including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time.
Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and
all other sedentary criteria are met.
I certify that this is an accurate
statement of the duties and responsibilities of this position and that the
position is necessary to carry out the functions for which I am responsible.
EMPLOYEE’S
SIGNATURE (OPTIONAL)
DATE
SUPERVISOR’S SIGNATURE DATE
CONCURRENCE OF NEXT HIGHER LEVEL DATE