General Counsel

State of Ohio; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 175,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Coverage

Dental and Vision insurance

Paid time off and holidays

Educational opportunities

Job summary

The Supreme Court of Ohio is seeking a General Counsel to lead the legal, legislative, and policy affairs of the Court and to advise on matters affecting Court administration and the Ohio judicial system.

The role directs multiple offices, oversees budgets and resources, and guides strategic planning, records management, and public access activities. A JD with an Ohio license and extensive leadership experience are required.

Qualifications

• JD required and licensed to practice law in Ohio.
• Minimum eight years of broad-based legal experience.
• Five or more years of management responsibility preferred.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the Offices of the General Counsel, Reporter, and Legal Resources and ensure alignment with Court priorities.
• Develop and implement strategic goals and policies for the legal division; supervise staff and budgets.
• Provide legal advice to the Chief Justice and Administrative Director; supervise policy matters per statutes and rules.
• Oversee public records requests and contracts/agreements, training staff on compliance and risk.

Skills

Attorney/Legal

Education

Juris Doctor

Job description

All job postings will expire at 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the application deadline.

Organization: Supreme Court of Ohio

Agency Contact Name and Information: Office of Human Resources - [e-mail]

Work Location:
65 South Front Street
Columbus, Ohio, 43215
United States

Compensation: $175,000 - $190,000

Schedule: Permanent - Full Time

Work Hours: 8am - 5pm M-F

Classified Indicator: Unclassified

Union: Exempt from union

Primary Job Skill: Attorney/Legal

Who We Are

The Supreme Court of Ohio is seeking to fill the position of General Counsel. This position directs the legal, legislative, and policy affairs of the Supreme Court and serves as the principal advisor on legal matters affecting Court administration and the Ohio judicial branch. The position provides executive leadership and operational oversight for the Office of the General Counsel, Office of the Reporter, and Office of Legal Resources, ensuring effective governance, statutory compliance, and coordinated service delivery. Key responsibilities include leading multidisciplinary teams of legal and professional staff, managing budgets and resources, and guiding strategic planning, policy development, records management, and public access functions.

What You’ll Do

Leadership

Oversees the activities of the Offices of the General Counsel, Reporter, and Legal Resources, ensuring alignment with the Court’s mission, statutory obligations, and operational priorities. Fosters collaboration and clear communication to ensure strategies and operations are aligned under a unified legal and administrative strategy. Coordinates efforts to drive innovation, efficiency, and consistency, enabling the Court to advance priorities.

Organizational Goals

Develops and executes strategic goals, values, and policies across offices in alignment with the Court’s mission. Provides high-level leadership for court-wide initiatives. Supports the Chief Justice and Administrative Director in implementing organizational change, fostering innovation, and ensuring policy compliance across relevant functions. Provides leadership for legal, legislative, and policy matters. Assists the Chief Justice and Administrative Director in planning and reviewing non-judicial operations. Coordinates activities with other agencies and court divisions. Conducts special projects assigned by the Chief Justice, Administrative Director, or Deputy Administrative Directors.

Office Management

Plans, prioritizes, directs, and oversees activities of the Office of the General Counsel, including legal, legislative, and policy activities. Develops and implements the Office of the General Counsel’s budget.

Legal Advice

Provides legal advice to the Chief Justice, Justices, Administrative Director, Deputy Administrative Directors, managers, supervisors, and employees to ensure compliance with laws, rules, and regulations. Consults with managers and supervisors on various programs, policies, and regulations. Addresses legal issues impacting the Court or Ohio judicial branch by researching statutes, judicial decisions, and rules; drafting advisory opinions; and preparing legal memoranda and reports.

Public Records & Policy

Oversee public records requests and manage public records policies and procedures across the offices of the Supreme Court of Ohio.

Contract & Agreement Management

Reviews, prepares, and coordinates intergovernmental agreements, grant agreements, and contracts; advises staff on legal risks, terms, and conditions. Provides reference materials and training for judges and judicial branch employees.

Staff Supervisory Responsibilities

This position directly supervises the Reporter of Decisions; Director, Legal Resources; and Judicial Assignment Analyst. As a supervisor, this position is responsible for overseeing recruitment and onboarding processes, providing coaching and feedback to team members, managing performance issues, conducting performance evaluations, and fostering a collaborative and high-performance work environment to ensure team success.

Additional Information

This is an exempt unclassified position, reporting to the Administrative Director. The salary range for this position, which is commensurate with experience, is $175,000 - $190,000.

The Supreme Court of Ohio is an equal employment opportunity employer that supports an alcohol and drug-free, and a weapons and violence free, work environment.

At-Will Employment

The Supreme Court of Ohio is an at-will employer that seeks to attract, employ, and retain highly skilled and motivated individuals, attempts to maintain staff continuity for the efficiency of its operation, and desires to foster and maintain an ethical, professional, and impartial work environment. Pursuant to Adm. P. 4 (At-Will Employment), no person shall be offered or denied a position of employment with the Court, and no employee shall have the employee’s employment terminated based solely upon political party affiliation, political activity permitted under Adm. P. 17 (Employee Code of Ethics), or other partisan considerations. Further, no employee shall have the employee’s employment terminated with or without cause unless upon the concurrence of a majority of the Court.

Background Check Information

The final candidate selected for the position will be required to undergo a pre-employment drug screening and a criminal background check. Criminal convictions do not necessarily preclude an applicant from consideration for a position. An individual assessment of an applicant’s prior criminal convictions will be made before excluding an applicant from consideration.

Why Work for the State of Ohio

At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:

• Medical Coverage
• Free Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance premiums after completion of eligibility period
• Paid time off, including vacation, personal, sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care leave
• Education and Development Opportunities (Employee Development Funds, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and more)
• Public Retirement Systems such as OPERS, STRS, SERS, and HPRS & Optional Deferred Compensation Ohio Deferred Compensation

*Benefits eligibility is dependent on a number of factors. The Agency Contact listed above will be able to provide specific benefits information for this position.

Qualifications

Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school and an active Ohio law license in good standing or ability to obtain within 6 months of employment. At all times during employment with the Court, must be an attorney properly admitted to the practice of law in Ohio and be in good standing. Minimum of eight (8) years of increasingly responsible broad based legal experience as a bar licensed attorney. At least five (5) years of extensive and substantial management responsibility is preferred.

ADA Statement

Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.

Drug-Free Workplace

The State of Ohio is a drug-free workplace which prohibits the use of marijuana (recreational marijuana/non-medical cannabis). Please note, this position may be subject to additional restrictions pursuant to the State of Ohio Drug-Free Workplace Policy (HR-39), and as outlined in the posting.