Senior Legal Counsel

About the role

Working under the supervision of the OCA's General Counsel, the Senior Legal Counsel (SLC) provides structured thinking on legal and policy issues arising from the execution of the OCA's mission. The SLC provides consultation to OCA staff on matters related to the OCA's oversight responsibilities as well as consultation on issues brought to the agency's attention. The SLC will support the General Counsel in the management of interagency initiatives and projects.

Responsibilities

• Legal Strategy: Participate in strategic planning activities and provide thought partnership to the General Counsel, including finalizing goals and activities and effectively implementing them and translating to assigned staff.
• Legal Consultation & Resolution: Advise OCA staff on Complaint Line calls and other individual case reviews that raise legal issues. Provides legal consultation as well as a structured-thinking approach to OCA project work completed by other OCA divisions.
• Policy & Contract Analysis and Writing: Draft memorandums of understanding and internal policies.
• Policy Review and Evaluation: Supports the General Counsel in evaluation of policy and practices of agencies external to the OCA.
• Project Management: As guided by the General Counsel, manage interagency initiatives and projects through convening and facilitating various groups. Lead and/or execute OCA project work with internal or external-facing deliverables.
• Individual Case Investigations: Active member of the OCA investigation team, reviewing case-specific confidential information and drafting summaries or reports as necessary.
• Research: Conducts legal research to support the OCA's mission and project-based work. Maintains knowledge of relevant legal, policy, and practice changes in the fields relevant to the OCA's mission.
• External Representation: As needed, represents OCA at external meetings (e.g. advisory boards, conferences, briefings).

Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate from an accredited school of law.
• Member in good standing with the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers.
• At least seven (7) years of full time, or equivalent part-time, relevant work experience preferably in an area related to education, state government, government oversight, or child protection.

Required skills

• A working knowledge of state agencies under the Massachusetts executive branch.
• Familiarity with child protection, juvenile justice, education, and other child-related fields. Experience with education law is strongly preferred.
• Ability to conduct comprehensive legal research, ability to analyze legal precedent and apply it to factual circumstances.
• Ability to present clear, concise, and cogent legal arguments and analysis.
• Ability to exercise the utmost discretion in handling confidential information.
• Ability to independently determine specific tasks needed to accomplish an assignment, to prioritize work assignments, complete assignments in a timely and satisfactory manner, and coordinate competing interests to carry out multiple assignments simultaneously while working under time constraints.
• Ability to work at a high level of productivity, including handling a variety of tasks, and ability to stay on task with frequent interruptions.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with a team.
• Excellent interpersonal skills including professionalism, collegiality, ability to take direction, and ability to compromise.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and other computer software applications.

Pay & schedule

• Salary: $112,000.00
• Full-time, day shift
• This job requires an individual to work in-person at the OCA's Boston office 1-2 days per week, and occasionally more often for in-person meetings.
• Potentially eligible for a hybrid work schedule.