Associate General Counsel

About Achievement First

Achievement First (AF) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization supporting 39 public charter schools across New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. For more than 25 years, AF has been recognized as one of the top tuition-free public charter school networks in the country. We are committed to creating schools of academic excellence within nurturing environments — schools that prepare students to be college-ready and to pursue and succeed in whatever paths they choose in life.

The majority of AF students are Black and Latinx children from low-income families, many of whom will be the first in their families to graduate from college. Across our network, we employ more than 2,200 staff members — 64% of whom identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color — who collectively educate nearly 15,000 students in Brooklyn and Queens, NY; New Haven, Bridgeport, and Hartford, CT; and Providence and Cranston, RI.

Our mission is to prepare every student to excel in college, career, and life; deepen their understanding of self and community; and lead lives of purpose. We believe in the limitless potential within our students and their power to shape a more just society. That belief drives our deep commitment to student achievement: we aim to set a high bar for learning and create warm, demanding classrooms where rigorous instruction is paired with the care, encouragement, and consistency every student deserves.

We are looking for a strategic and dynamic Associate General Counsel to join our Legal and Compliance team.

Your Impact

The Associate General Counsel (AGC) will be responsible for providing direct legal support to school leaders and network support staff. The AGC serves as the primary legal support for schools providing advice of counsel and legal representation on matters relating to employment, investigations, appeals, arbitrations, mediations, special education, 504 and federal and state labor laws.  The AGC will coordinate with the General Counsel for information production in response to public information act requests and subpoenas of records, as well as reviewing and drafting Board policy and school administrative procedures.  Responsibilities may also include providing legal opinions and advice of counsel to executive level staff and school leaders on federal, state and local issues impacting public education, human resources, delivery of instruction to special populations and employee matters.

Reporting Directly to General Counsel, your responsibilities will be to

Advise and support with regard to urgent legal matters impacting schools - including safety for school community and individual students. 

• Provide legal advice and counsel to the network and school-based staff on education law related matters including employment law, student privacy, employee and labor relations, special education, operations, and litigation.
• Act as the primary legal representative in the majority of schools-facing matters involving legal risk to the organization.Interpret legal documents to ensure schools are complying with legal requirements and support schools with implementation.
• Provide daily support with response to custodial disputes, interactions with law enforcement, parent misconduct and civility letters, and scholar crises.

Advise Special Services Leaders/Deans of Special Services (SSL/DSS)  and Team Special Services (TSS) on special education matters.

• Communicate regularly with TSS Managing Directors and Directors to explain our legal obligations under state and federal special education laws.
• Discuss specific scholars with TSS Directors/SSLs and  determine the school's responsibilities under the law.Draft written communication to families regarding special education services. 
• Advise on school-facing policies drafted by TSS. 

Advise DOSCs and TSE on student discipline matters and policies.

• Communicate regularly with TSE to explain legal obligations when issuing exclusionary discipline.
• Review policies and guidance related to student discipline to ensure compliance with state and federal laws.
• Analyze behavioral and restraint data for trends that pose legal risk to the school or network.
• Act as legal counsel for the school by representing the school's case in disciplinary proceedings where the recommended consequence is more than 10 days, up to and including expulsion proceedings.

Consult with and advise Title IX Coordinators to ensure compliance with regulations.

• Revise the Network’s Title IX Policy to remain compliant with the law and best practices.
• Provide legal advice to ensure compliance with Title IX.
• Participate in meetings to discuss Title IX investigation findings and conclusions. 
• Review Title IX reports and notices for compliance.
• Respond to emails about incidents that trigger our Title IX obligations.
• Walk Coordinators through the investigation and notification process. 

Oversee all litigation and oversee the representation by outside counsel before all legal forums.

• Communicate with outside counsel representing AF in pending litigation.
• Serve as liaison between schools and outside counsel.
• Produce documents in response to discovery requests from outside counsel.
• Participate in depositions and mediations related to pending matters.

Review and draft network-wide policies that are school-facing; develop and provide related training.

• Develop and advise on policies and provide training to network and school-based staff on critical legal issues such as nondiscrimination, discipline, internal investigations, FERPA, public records laws, Title IX, special education compliance, and other applicable legal issues.
• Identify areas where specific written policy or guidance is needed for consistent legal compliance.
• Respond to requests for review of network-wide policies for compliance with state and federal law, and to assess legal risk and liability for the network.
• Annually review and revise Family Handbook.
• Revise policies to comply with applicable laws as needed.
• Represent Team Legal on cross-functional policy/system development teams.
• Uses knowledge of laws and understanding of schools to inform policy decisions. 

Advise schools on compliance with laws affecting scholars such as FERPA, mandated reporting, discipline procedures, and searches/seizures.

• Respond to inquiries about FERPA compliance.
• Respond to inquiries about the appropriateness of social media posts, responses to requests from law enforcement, and non-AF employee access to our scholar databases. 

Qualifications & Ideal Background 

Education

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school

Licensure

• Active license to practice law in New York
• Membership in good standing with the New York State Bar Association
  
  

Experience

• Minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible legal experience in public or private sector organizations
• Direct experience in at least two or more of the following areas:
• Public education law
• Employee and labor relations
• Litigation management and dispute resolution
• Mediation and arbitration settlements
• Prior experience advising senior leadership and/or governing boards on complex legal and compliance matters preferred
  
  

Knowledge & Skills

• Deep knowledge of special education law, including experience with IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and Section 504 matters
• Strong understanding of due process procedures, employment law, and labor regulations
• Excellent research, writing, and analytical skills with the ability to translate legal language into practical guidance
• Skilled at risk assessment, negotiation, and conflict resolution
• Ability to balance legal compliance with organizational mission, values, and operational realities
• High level of professional judgment, discretion, and ethical standards

Travel Expectations 

This is a hybrid role. The expectation is that the person in the role would be able to come into the Network Support office or school sites (NYC, CT, or RI) at least 3 days a week. There may be additional travel to regions outside of your own on a monthly basis. 

Compensation

Achievement First sets salaries are set through a lens of equity, and based on the requisite skills, education, and experience relevant to the role.  The salary for this position is $170,258. In order to uphold our commitment to equity, Achievement First does not negotiate pay.  Additionally, Achievement First offers to all regular, full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package that includes paid time off, medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, a 403(b) retirement benefit package with match, and paid Family Leave.

Achievement First is an equal opportunity employer and an organization that values diversity. People from all diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. Spanish language proficiency is a plus. You can learn more about diversity at Achievement First here: http://achievementfirst.org/about-us/diversity/