General Counsel

About the role

The Latin School of Chicago is conducting a search for its inaugural General Counsel — a newly created executive leadership role reflecting the School’s commitment to proactive, sophisticated legal stewardship in a K-12 environment.

Scope of Responsibilities

• Legal Operations & Infrastructure

• Establish the foundational infrastructure of a mature in-house legal function, including a comprehensive library of institutional policies, standard form agreements, and operational protocols.
• Develop and maintain documentation and process frameworks that enable consistent, legally sound decision-making across all departments.
• Evaluate legal tasks — both those arising in the ordinary course and new matters as they emerge — including student matters, employment issues, vendor relationships and enrollment contracts to determine the appropriate allocation between internal handling and outside counsel, with a view toward quality, efficiency, and cost management.

• Risk Management & Litigation Avoidance

• Lead the School's efforts to proactively identify and mitigate legal risk, with a strong emphasis on student safety, supervision, and duty of care.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive risk management strategy that emphasizes early identification and mitigation of legal exposure across all institutional functions.
• Establish policies and preventive measures designed to reduce legal exposure such as student supervision, off-campus activities, mandatory reporting and crisis response.
• Manage disputes and claims when they arise, coordinating with outside counsel as needed, with a focus on efficient, thoughtful resolution that protects students and the School community.

• Training & Legal Education

• Design and deliver ongoing internal training programs for administrators, faculty, and staff on legally relevant topics including employment practices, student safety, mandatory reporting obligations, privacy and data compliance, and institutional policy.
• Build a culture of legal awareness and informed decision-making throughout the organization.

• Employment & Labor

• Work closely with Human Resources and administration to provide counsel and guidance on the full spectrum of employment matters, from hiring and performance management through separation.
• Advise on compliance with applicable federal, state, and local employment law.
• Partner with internal stakeholders to manage relationships with represented employee groups, including contract interpretation, grievance processes, and labor relations strategy.

• Student Rights & Compliance

• Provide guidance on student rights matters across a range of evolving legal and regulatory frameworks, including those touching on access, accommodation, privacy, and participation.
• Support the School in developing and/or refining, and enforcing policies that balance student voice with age-appropriate expectations, safety, and the School's mission.
• Support compliance with applicable laws and best practices related to student records, accommodations, and equitable access to educational programs.
• Advising administration about student and parent/guardians complaints.

• Student Expression, Student Conduct, & School Policy

• Advise on matters relating to student expression, conduct, and community standards.
• Help the School develop and/or refine, and enforce policies that balance student voice with age-appropriate expectations, safety, and the School’s mission.

• Governance & Nonprofit Operations

• Support the Board and Head of School on governance matters, including Board fiduciary obligations, nonprofit compliance, contracts, vendor agreements, insurance matters, and regulatory filings.
• Participate as a subject matter expert for various board sub-committees.
• Serve as a resource on an ad hoc basis across all operational areas of the School.

Compensation & Location

The Latin School of Chicago offers a competitive compensation package commensurate with the seniority of this role, including a competitive base salary, benefits, and access to the School's professional development programs. This is a full-time position based in Chicago, Illinois. The expected salary range for this role is $225,000 to $300,000 per year. The above represents the expected salary range for this job. The starting salary will vary based on multiple factors, including but not limited to experience, job-related experience, skills, etc.