Attorney, Special Education, Civil Rights, Labor and Employment

Position Type:

Administration and Professionals

Date Posted:

2025-03-17

Location:Administration or As Assigned

INTRODUCTION: CONTEXT AND MISSION

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) serves approximately 37,000 students in 100+ schools. Over the past several years, the Greater Cleveland community has united behind the collective goal of ensuring every child in Cleveland attends a high-quality school and every neighborhood has a multitude of great schools from which families can choose. The Cleveland Plan defines CMSD’s approach to the reinvention of public education and holds our community accountable for the success of Cleveland’s schoolchildren. The Cleveland Plan is supported by Ohio House Bill 525, which provides much-needed flexibility and autonomy for the district and its schools. Our schools have autonomy over human and financial resources in exchange for accountability for

performance. The principal has primary responsibility and accountability for establishing his or her school as a high-quality, high-expectations academic center with a focus on personalized instruction, professional support for teachers, and school-wide practices that lead to measurable results.

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District has developed standards of excellence that the district applies to all parts of the organization inclusive of schools, principals, school leadership teams, networks, and central office. Alignment between Standards of Excellence (SoE) and the district’s Theory of Action helps ensure that principals are able to focus on scholar achievement and that central office supports are timely and effective.

Our Vision for Learning in a Post-Pandemic World:

In our pursuit of a more fair, just, and good system of education, we want each of our learners, both each of our scholars and each of their educators, to be individually and collectively presented with academically / intellectually complex tasks that are worthy of their productive struggle and allow them authentic opportunities to demonstrate their work and their learning of academic content and transferable skills in a joyful and adventurous environment.

THE OPPORTUNITY:

 

Location: Administration or As Assigned
Reports To: Chief Legal Counsel
FLSA Status: Exempt
Salary Band: 16
Compensation: $ 91,800.00. - $ 128,520.00
**Internal applicants are required to upload a resume to their application**


Under the direction of the Chief of Staff, this attorney is directly responsible for conducting litigation, trials, and appeals in the Office of Legal Services for the District with minimal supervision. The Office of Legal Services is designed to provide support and experience in collective bargaining, board policy development, discrimination claims, student discipline, special education, District-sponsored community schools, public records/sunshine laws and more. The professional duties of the Lawyer, Labor, Employment, and Litigation position include researching and analyzing facts and law, litigation motions and pleadings, discovery, settlement negotiations, presenting evidence and jury arguments, and appellate processes. This attorney advises clients and litigates legal issues arising from disputes involving employment matters, personnel disciplinary actions, premises liability claims, civil rights actions, intentional torts actions, and other litigation matters involving the District. This position will represent the District before various courts, administrative agencies, and arbitrators.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provides timely and professional legal advice to a variety of internal stakeholders regarding special education, civil rights, labor, and employment matters
• Represents the District through all phases of special education litigation, including administrative complaints and due process hearings before ODEW. This includes researching and analyzing facts and law, drafting responses, preparing witnesses, appearing at hearings, conducting settlement negotiations, presenting evidence, and appellate processes
• Represents the District through all phases of Civil Rights related administrative processes and litigation, including complaints before the USDOE, EEOC, OCRC, and ODEW and corresponding court matters
• Supports all facets of internal investigations related to civil rights matters, including Title IX investigations, discrimination investigations, and Section 504 complaints.
• Develops skills associated with, and eventually assume responsibilities of, the role of the District’s Title IX Coordinator, Director of EEO, and/or 504 Coordinator
• Represents the District in matters involvi