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THE POSITION Schools Legal Service seeks an Associate Counsel to practice law in a dynamic public sector environment. We support wonderful clients doing great work for children in each of our three practice groups, Labor & Employment, Business & Construction, and Students & Special Education. Our immediate needs are in our Labor & Employment and/or Business & Construction practice groups. Top candidates will be placed on an eligibility list to be considered for this and future positions. A Labor and Employment assignment will involve advising and representing school and community college districts in a wide variety of employment matters, including employee performance and discipline, workplace investigations, employee leaves, and development/presentation of training for various employers. Work in the area of collective bargaining may also be assigned, as well as work in other practice areas. A Business and Construction assignment will involve counseling school and community college districts in a wide range of matters, including school construction-related contracts and disputes, “developer fee” issues, real estate and school site acquisition matters, general transactional matters, charter school issues, public records requests, and school district reorganization issues. Real estate or construction law experience is helpful. Work in other practice areas may also be assigned. A Student & Special Education assignment will involve advising education entities in student discipline and related matters, and counseling districts in the complexities of federal and state law concerning students with disabilities. The successful candidate will represent school districts in all phases of student and special education matters, including Individualized Education Program meetings, mediation of contested issues, Due Process Hearings conducted by the Office of Administrative Hearings, state and federal complaints before the California Department of Education, writs and appeals in state and federal courts, and student discipline hearings. Work in other practice areas may also be assigned. IMPORTANT COMMENTS: • All candidates will be notified by email throughout the hiring process. • Each candidate’s application papers and answers to the essay questions contained within the application will be thoroughly evaluated and ranked by a screening committee appointed by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools. Candidates achieving a rating of 70% or better will qualify to continue in the eligibility screening process. CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: Must be eligible for malpractice insurance coverage. Some positions may require proof of privately owned automobile insurance and the possession of a valid California Motor Vehicle operator’s license. Fingerprint clearance by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice is a condition of appointment after all other required job conditions have been met. Must present verification of completion of Child Abuse Mandated Reporter training or obtain verification within six (6) weeks of hire and annually thereafter, as required by the California Child Abuse Neglect Reporting Act. This position is overtime exempt and has a probationary period of one year. “The Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office prohibits discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying based on actual or perceived ancestry, age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital or parental status or association with a person or a group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics”.