Senior Legal Counsel (Employment)

TCS Education System; United States; Remote; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and welfare benefits

Remote work stipend

Tuition reimbursement

Paid time off

Job summary

The Community Solution Education System is seeking an experienced Senior Legal Counsel (Employment) to advise on employment and labor matters across our higher education system. This remote role works with Human Resources and institutional leaders to provide practical legal guidance in a fast-paced environment.

You will lead day-to-day risk assessment, manage employment disputes, investigations, and regulatory compliance (FLSA, ADA, FMLA, California laws), and support labor relations and policy

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in employment law as litigator or in higher education.
• J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Active California license to practice law.
• Licensed in Illinois or eligible to become licensed.
• Experience advising organizational leaders on complex employment issues.
• Knowledge of federal and state employment laws including FLSA, ADA, FMLA.

Responsibilities

• Provide practical legal counsel and risk assessment on day-to-day operations in higher education systems.
• Lead employment-related disputes including pre-litigation and litigation matters.
• Advise on complex workplace and student-related investigations and resolutions.
• Negotiate settlements and manage insurance claims / outside counsel as needed.
• Ensure compliance with federal and state employment laws and regulations.
• Support labor relations matters including collective bargaining.

Skills

Employment law

Litigation

Higher education

Regulatory compliance

Workplace investigations

Policy development

Education

Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree

ABA-accredited law school

California license to practice law

Illinois license eligibility

Job description

Job Title: Senior Legal Counsel (Employment)

Department: Office of Legal Affairs

About the Opportunity At The Community Solution Education System, the Office of Legal Affairs serves as a trusted advisor to leadership across The Community Solution, providing strategic legal counsel on a broad range of matters affecting our System Office and partner institutions. Our attorneys work collaboratively with leaders across the organization to navigate complex legal and regulatory issues, support sound decision-making, and help advance our mission. We're seeking an experienced Senior Legal Counsel with expertise in labor and employment law and experience in higher education to join our Office of Legal Affairs. Reporting to the Managing Counsel & Associate Vice President for Legal Affairs, this attorney will work alongside a collaborative team of in-house counsel, with primary responsibility for advising on employment and labor matters. In this role, you'll partner closely with Human Resources, institutional leaders, and other stakeholders to provide practical, strategic legal guidance across a broad spectrum of employment, labor, student-related, and other in-house legal matters, including regulatory compliance, internal investigations, dispute resolution, policy development, and risk management. This position offers the opportunity to influence organizational decision-making, help shape policies and practices, and support a mission-driven higher education system. This role is part of a fully remote, workforce, requires flexibility in working across time zones, involves a fast-paced environment with changing priorities and short deadlines, and may occasionally require work outside of standard business hours to meet business needs.

What You'll Focus On

Providing practical legal counsel and risk assessment on day-to-day operational, administrative, and strategic matters supporting higher education system and institutional operations. Serving as lead counsel on employment-related disputes, including pre-litigation and litigation matters involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour, workers’ compensation, and reasonable accommodation claims. Conducting and advising on complex workplace and student-related investigations and recommending legally sound, practical resolutions. Negotiating settlements, managing insurance claims, and partnering with outside counsel as appropriate to support effective case resolution. Advising on compliance with federal and state employment laws and regulations, including FLSA, ADA, FMLA, California employment laws, and matters involving state and federal regulatory agencies. Supporting labor relations matters, including collective bargaining and related workforce considerations.

Qualifications Required

• Minimum of 10 years of experience practicing employment law as a litigator or within a higher education environment.
• Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Active license to practice law in California.
• Must be licensed to practice law in Illinois or eligible to become licensed upon starting work.
• Experience providing legal counsel and risk assessment on employment, labor, and workplace matters.
• Experience advising organizational leaders on complex employment issues, including workplace investigations, regulatory compliance, and dispute resolution.
• Strong knowledge of federal and state employment laws, including FLSA, ADA, FMLA, and California employment laws.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in higher education, litigation, labor relations, and general corporate and/or regulatory law.
• Combined experience in both law firm and in-house legal environments.
• Experience drafting, reviewing, and implementing policies and procedures within an organization.

Why Join Us

• Comprehensive health and welfare benefits, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, voluntary benefit options, employer-paid life and disability insurance, retirement plan contributions, and an employee assistance program.
• Strong work-life balance with 20 PTO days and 11 paid holidays annually.
• Distributed workforce model with remote work flexibility and a biweekly remote work stipend.
• Tuition reimbursement for eligible external degree programs, along with tuition waivers at participating colleges within the System.
• Opportunity to contribute to a mission-driven higher education system focused on student success, institutional excellence, and advancing equitable access to education.
• The Community Solution offers a generous compensation and benefits package, as well as the opportunity to work for a leader in the field of education.
• To learn more about our competitive benefits and additional rewards, including generous paid time-off, medical and dental insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, retirement plan with employer contribution, multiple flexible spending accounts, tuition reimbursement,

The Community Solution is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Learn more about The Community Solution Education System and our mission, visit our website: https://www.tcsedsystem.edu/.