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OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT → CLASSIFICATION → GENERAL COUNSEL
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EXAMPLES OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Serves as a legal advisor to the system as a whole.Oversees the Office of the General Counsel and is responsible for monitoring and evaluating all internal and external providers of legal services, consistent with Board Policy BOA, Legal Services.Provides ongoing review of routine school system matters including but not limited to procurement and contract review; personnel matters; real estate and land use; business/finance; land use; Open Meetings Act, Maryland Public Information Act, and special education requests; civil rights and student matters; and other legal issues that have implications for the operation of the school district.Prepares and renders legal opinions.Keeps the Board, superintendent, and appropriate staff members advised about all pending legal matters being handled for the school system.Responds to inquiries from the Board and provides clarification and information to further their understanding on a specific matter or related to daily work of the Board.Notifies the superintendent and the Board when a legal matter has significant policy or administrative implications, with appropriate recommendations.Provides legal assistance in the drafting and/or review of state legislation proposed by the school system for presentation to the Maryland General Assembly. Interprets the impact of legislation based on the interests of the school system.Provides input and reviews all Board policies before being finalized.Providing legal review and advice regarding the drafting, negotiation, execution, and implementation of contracts, agreements, and other transactional documents that structure the relationships with government agencies, vendors, contractors, and other parties in support of MCPS¿ educational mission.Proactively anticipating and addressing legal issues relevant to decision making by the Board and MCPS staff, and provides updates on relevant State Board of Education decisions or regulations which are likely to impact MCPS policy or practice, any federal or state legislation which may require changes in existing policy or practice, as well as any court or administrative decisions.Proactively anticipates legal issues relevant to decision making.Conducts and/or supervises all aspects of litigation in which the Board, superintendent of schools, or other staff acting in the course of their duties for MCPS are named as plaintiff or defendant. Works directly with County Attorney¿s office, which provides counsel to the Board through the Board¿s participation in the Montgomery County Self Insurance Fund, and other outside attorneys. These duties include, but are not limited to, the review and/or preparation of all pleadings, trial, and appellate briefs; negotiation between parties including certain settlements; the conduct of trial and hearings at the level of original jurisdiction or on appeal; and all other court or hearing appearances in order to represent the interests of the school system.Attends Board meetings as needed and provides counsel to the superintendent, Board members, and other school system administrators, as required.Provides direction in drafting and applications of legal documents, policies and regulations, and resolutions, upon request. The general counsel reviews all such documents prior to submission to the superintendent and the Board.Is involved in all Office for Civil Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission matters and maintains copies of all related records and correspondence.Represents the school system in the maintenance of standards of personal conduct, professional performance, and discipline in accordance with the current policies of the Board, and laws of the state of Maryland and the United States.Manages the process of selection and approval of new outside counsel and initiates contractual agreements with counsel and works closely with outside counsel to review strategy and supervise resources applied to legal matters, ensure consistency of legal position, avoid duplication of cost and effort, and otherwise coordinate the efficient management of their legal services.Conducts periodic systematic appraisal of legal services.Develops and manages standardized billing practices of retained counsel.Requests for outside legal service in excess of $50,000 must be approved by the superintendent or designee and reported to the Board in monthly reports.Implements centralized case management, reference record keeping, and reporting system for efficient retrieval of legal opinions, decisions, and reports provided to the school system.Utilizes strategies that ensure quality and cost-control capability for legal services.Performs related duties consistent with the scope and intent of the position.
This description may be changed at any time.