General Counsel - District
: Job Details :

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District OfficeThe Peralta Community College District is a two-year college system, dedicated to providing comprehensive educational and community services to the communities it serves, including the cities of Albany, Alameda, Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland and Piedmont California. The District enrolls over 25,000 students in a broad range of transfer and occupational curricula. The colleges in the District include the College of Alameda, Laney College, Merritt College, and Berkeley City College, which operate under the governance of a seven-member Board of Trustees and are administered by a Chancellor/Superintendent.

Position Information

Job Title: General Counsel - District

Time Base: 40 Hours/Week 12 Months/Year

Compensation: Salary Range: $210,065 - $266,081 /yr - The maximum salary placement is Step 3 depending on experience.

Position Type: Management

Department: Chancellor's Office (112)

City: Oakland

State: CA

Job Description Summary:Under the direction of the Chancellor, the General Counsel provides legal advice to the Board of Trustees, the Chancellor, and other officers and employees of the District. The General Counsel serves as the Chief Legal Counsel to the District. The General Counsel manages all legal affairs of the District.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Provides legal counsel in all areas of law affecting the District.
• Coordinates and reviews specialized legal services provided by outside counsel.
• Represents the District on state and local committees as directed by the Chancellor.
• Directs and coordinates litigation, arbitration, and hearings requiring the District to be represented as authorized by the Board of Trustees.
• Drafts, negotiates, and reviews a variety of contracts, service agreements, memorandums of understanding, and other agreements. Manages the District contracting services.
• Prepares formal and informal opinions, drafts proposed legislation and regulations, drafts and reviews contracts and instruments affecting property transfers, and all other legal documents or instruments, as needed or requested.
• Attends and provides legal advice at all meetings of the Board of Trustees and other such meetings as the Board and the Chancellor may direct; and serves as the Board's parliamentarian.
• Provides liaison with other governmental entities in the area of legal affairs. Serves as a member of the Chancellor's executive staff.
• Supervises the staff of the Office of the General Counsel including professional, legal research, and clerical staff, and conducts orientation and information programs for the District.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Chancellor.

Minimum Qualifications:

Possession of a Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) Degree from an accredited college or university.

Possession of a current unrestricted license to practice law in the State of California.

General knowledge of the California Education Code, Government Code, Public Contract Code, and relevant California Code of Regulations.

Demonstrate understanding of, sensitivity to, and respect for the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, and ethnic backgrounds of Peralta Colleges' students, faculty, staff, and community.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Occasional work performed alone.
• Constant work around and with other people.

Other Requirements:

PHYSICAL ABILITIES:The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an individual to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. Typical physical abilities for this position are:

• Prolonged and frequent sitting, standing, walking, reaching, twisting, turning, kneeling, bending, squatting and stooping.
• Moderate to heavy usage of hands in grasping, repetitive hand movement and finger coordination in keeping records and preparing reports using a computer keyboard.
• Speech and hearing to communicate effectively in group settings and by telephone to students, faculty, staff, and others.

Application Deadline Date: Open Date: 04/16/2024First Review Date: 11/18/2024

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Required documents will include:

• Current resume of experience, formal education/training and qualifications.
• Copies of supporting credentials, if applicable.
• Copies of transcripts from fully accredited colleges or university institutions.

Applications and attachments (resume, cover letter, copies of transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc.) will ONLY be accepted through the online process. WE DO NOT ACCEPT MAILED OR FAXED APPLICATIONS OR ITS ATTACHMENTS.

Travel expenses for the interview and selection process will be borne by the candidates.

Skype and phone interviews are not permitted.

Appointment to the position is conditional upon the approval of the Chancellor.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:Employees must satisfy all pre-employment requirements to work for the District which include, but are not limited to, the following items:

REQUIRED FOR ALL EMPLOYEES:Tuberculosis Examination: Prior to employment, the successful candidate will be required to submit evidence (either skin test or X-ray report) of being free of tuberculosis within the past sixty (60) days. The TB test is a condition of employment and any expense must be borne by the successful candidate.Fingerprinting Requirement: As a condition of employment, all employees working for community colleges in the State of California are required to be fingerprinted within the first ten (10) working days of the date of employment pursuant to Education Code Section 88024. The District Office of Human Resources processes fingerprints electronically. During the employment intake process, new employees will be given information to have their fingerprints taken at another location.Immigration Requirement: According to the Immigration Reform and Control Act, the Peralta Community College District is required to verify that all new employees are:

A citizen or national of the United States;

An alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States; or

An alien authorized by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service to work in the United States.

All new employees are required to complete and sign a verification form and provide documentation attesting that he/she is a United States citizen, national, or an alien lawfully authorized to work in the United States.District Policy: A Social Security Card will be required following selection and prior to completion of the hiring process. The employment process cannot be completed without a copy of the Social Security Card on file in the Office of Human Resources.

MAY BE REQUIRED:Medical Examination: Under state regulations and as a condition of employment, certain positions may require a medical examination prior to employment. Expenses incurred will be borne by the employee.

Benefits Information

FRINGE BENEFITS:The Peralta Colleges proudly offers a competitive and comprehensive core of work-life benefits. Benefit-eligible employees have access to coverage for themselves and eligible dependents:

• Medical coverage. Depending on choice of coverage, you may be required to make a contribution.
• Dental coverage. Depending on choice of coverage, you may be required to make a contribution.
• Life insurance of 150% of your income up to $100,000.
• Long-term disability coverage.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• 22 days/year vacation leave, 12 days/year sick leave, and 18 holidays/year.

In addition to your contribution, Peralta pays 19.10% of your salary to the State Teachers Retirement System ( STRS ). Effective January 1, 2013, the PEPRA went into effect.Changes have been implemented as a result of the adoption of this legislation that impact new and existing employees enrolled in CalSTRS. Specific information regarding the changes can be found at For further up to date information on CalSTRS retirement eligibility and PEPRA, please visit the website at www.calstrs.com. The CalSTRS member handbook is available at After 10 years of creditable service, medical benefits in retirement are extended until age 65.Other voluntary benefits include:

• Flexible benefit plan participation in the Medical Reimbursement Plan, Dependent Care Reimbursement Plan (under tax code 125).
• Pre-tax commuting expenses (under IRS code 132).
• Tax-deferred plan participation in the 403(b) and 457 plans.
• Credit union membership.
• Prepaid legal plan participation.
• Additional Life Insurance for yourself, spouse or children.
• Kaiser and United Health Care Dental are fully paid by the District. Other plans require employee contribution.
• Subject to change.

Mission Statement:The Peralta Community College District is a collaborative of colleges advancing social and economic transformation for students and the community through quality education, rooted in equity, social justice, environmental sustainability, and partnerships.

Required Documents:

• List of References
• Other Document
• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Transcripts

Optional Documents:

• Letter of Recommendation 1
• Letter of Recommendation 2
• Letter of Recommendation 3
• Curriculum Vitae
• Training/Certification Document

Posting Specific Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• * How did you find out about the position?
  • Asian Week
  • California Community College Chancellor's Office website
  • Career Builder
  • Chronicle of Higher Education website
  • Chronicle of Higher Education newspaper
  • Community College Jobs Website
  • Community College Times
  • Craigslist
  • Diverse Issues in Higher Education
  • El Mundo
  • Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education
  • Indeed.com
  • Job Fair, Conference or Workshop
  • Local Newspaper (Oakland Tribune, SF Chronicle, etc.)
  • Oakland Post
  • Peralta Jobs Website
  • Walk-In (PCCD Office of Human Resources)
  • Women in Higher Education
  • Word of Mouth
  • 24-Hour Job Line
  • Other
• If you chose Other as your answer for the above question, please provide details (Open Ended Question)

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