Legal Assistant, Office Of General Counsel

Legal AssistantOrganization Founded in 1913, the Illinois Association of School Boards' Vision is excellence in local school board governance supporting quality public education.Position Information DEPARTMENT: Office of General Counsel (OGC) REPORTS TO: Deputy Executive Director, Office of General Counsel OFFICE LOCATION: Lombard SALARY RANGE & BENEFITS: The position offers an annual salary of $40,000 – $50,000, with a generous benefits package that includes holidays, vacation and sick time, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and retirement benefits. The position will be eligible for Hybrid work after 30 days of employment.Departmental Mission/Vision/Goals OGC's mission is to honestly, professionally, and credibly protect and preserve IASB through legal risk management and compliance services for the IASB Board of Directors and staff; promote best practices to IASB members; create educational products and services;

and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with the public education community.Position Summary This position provides a wide range of administrative and office support activities for the Office of General Counsel (OGC) in the performance of its duties.FUNCTIONS OF THE JOB include the following; essential functions appear in bold type:Provides high-level administrative supportCreates and maintains current, organized, and accurate written procedures and electronic and paper files relating to job tasks, duties, and areas of responsibilityEnsures all phone calls, emails, and other communications are handled in an efficient and courteous mannerCreates and maintains accurate databases and spreadsheets in Excel, as neededParticipates in appropriate professional development offerings as neededParticipates in cross-training with other policy services support staff and OGC administrative assistant(s) to provide backupAttends periodic meetings both in and out of the office for continuous improvement and alignment of work throughout OGC and the AssociationPractices reliable and consistent attendance and punctualityAttends the Joint Annual Conference in Chicago annually and performs duties as assignedAttends occasional meetings outside the office that may require overnight travelContributes to team effort and OGC mission/vision/goals workPerforms other duties as assignedResponsibilities for the Office of General Counsel (OGC)Provides high-level administrative and paralegal supportAssists in high-level, direct support of General CounselConducts legal research independently as needed; this includes using Westlaw/LexisNexis to:Retrieve court decisions for the IASB website, recent court and agency decisions, find news articles, and general Internet research related to legal current eventsReview and input Legal References and footnote citations in the IASB Policy Reference Manual (PRM) for PRESS IssuesSchedules meeting dates, reserves conference rooms and/or any other meeting places for the OGC, Illinois Council of School Attorneys, or Policy Services for departmental meetings and video conferences, along with arranging for any meals and providing meeting materials electronicallyMonitors federal and state legislation and follows the promulgation process for federal and state administrative rulesContacts state agencies for information and instructionsMaintains school law pages on www.Iasb.ComManages details for 9-12 legal panels for the Joint Annual ConferenceCollaborates with other IASB departments to coordinate statewide and online trainingServes as back-up to the primary PS-OGC Legal AssistantManage the operations of the timeline for PRESS Issue editing and creation by ensuring that general business processes for OGC are completed by Editors and Policy Directors for the timely delivery of PRESS to subscribersExercises discretion and independent judgment with respect to matters of significanceUtilizing Microsoft Word processing and web-based word processing applications, proofreads, edits, and performs legal research for PRESS, PRESS Online, and PRESS PlusDesigns, creates, and contributes to forms and exhibits in the IASB Policy Reference Manual (PRM) as assigned by PRESS Editors, requiring invention, imagination, and originality in materialsMaintains the IASB PRM base in Microsoft Word and Adobe PDF versionsPrepares Microsoft Word documents for transfer to IASB's contractor (currently MicroScribe) to upload into PRESS OnlineExecutes Word processing and updates of Policy Customizations and Administrative Procedures Manuals, as directed by the Asst. Director, Office of General Counsel and/or General CounselAssists with creation and maintenance of Policy Services shared files and a list of current tasks, duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Asst. Director, Office of General CounselCreates and maintains templates for new documents, memos, and online instructionsCoordinates processes with IASB's contractor (currently MicroScribe), including updates and changesCreates, provides, and edits requested reportsCreates job tickets and coordinates with the print shop and IASB's contractor (currently MicroScribe)Manages the creation and maintenance of written procedures for PRESS Issues and electronic and paper filesUpdates and stocks office supplies for the Lombard office and third-floor space, as necessaryResponsibilities for the Illinois Council of School Attorneys (ICSA)Provides administrative and paralegal supportResponds to questions from school attorneys about ICSAMaintains active ICSA memberships, including coordination of concurrent memberships with the National School Attorneys Association (NSAA)Maintains accurate records and prepares and maintains the ICSA directoryProvides extensive support for all stages of ICSA In-House Counsel Networking Meetings and the ICSA Annual Seminar, using creativity and originality in preparing materials and in maintaining the websiteSecures ICSA's status as an accredited Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) provider under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 795 and the Commission on Professionalism;

this includes knowledgeof Illinois Supreme Court Rule 795 and completing instruction provided by MCLE from time to time as the Supreme Court's rules related to MCLE changeAssists and supports all ICSA Committees, including in the formatting development, and delivery of ICSA Publications and comments for submission to administrative agencies during rule promulgation.EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTSBachelor's Degree and/or paralegal certification preferredDemonstrable high-level experience with Microsoft Word and Web-based word processing applications and ExcelExperience assisting lawyers and/or lobbyists, and performing legal researchStrong customer service backgroundStrong Internet research skillsREQUIRED COMPETENCIES To perform this job successfully, an individual must satisfactorily perform each essential duty. The requirements listed below represent the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.Ability to use discretion and maintain strict confidentialityAbility to manage multiple, often competing, projects without direct supervisionStrong interpersonal skills necessary to successfully work with numerous and varied individuals and groups, including IASB members, attorneys, and other staffStrong communication skills, including excellent grammar - verbal and writtenAttention to detail, high degree of accuracy, and excellent proof-reading skillsProfessional demeanorAbility to consistently exercise discretion and independent judgment, be self-directed, be detail-oriented, master a high degree of accuracy, and have excellent proofreading skillsComputer skills and in-depth knowledge of relevant software:Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Expert; MOS Master preferred with an emphasis on Microsoft Word and Excel.For Microsoft Word processing, demonstration of the following skills is required:Understanding of Auto Text and macros in Microsoft Word documents to save time on repetitive tasks; understanding of Auto Text and macros preferred.Ability to review documents for accuracy and consistency in formatting, pagination, link management, and page references.Advanced level of proficiency preferred using Microsoft Word to produce complex legal and policy documents, which must include:Work with advanced styles, formatting, columns, tables