General Counsel / Chief of Legal and Policy

1. General statement of duties and responsibilities

Provide legal representation to the Sheriff’s Office and oversee the legal services and policy departments of the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office.

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2. Supervision received: (title of supervisor)

Sheriff or Special Sheriff in Sheriff’s absence

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3. Supervision exercised: (titles of persons supervised)

Assistant General Counsel, Director of Policy and Compliance, Executive Legal Assistant

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4. Duties and responsibilities:

1. The General Counsel shall oversee the legal and policy compliance departments at the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office. They shall have and maintain a vast knowledge of common, constitutional, statute, and case law. The General Counsel shall provide legal representation to the Sheriff’s Office, which includes: preparing documentation, reports, analysis, briefings, replying to inquiries, correspondence, position papers, etc. on assigned subject matters as they relate, but not necessarily limited, to:

The Office of the Sheriff, the Sheriff’s Department, its mission and that of any of its components;

Department policies and procedures;

Lawsuits naming the Sheriff, the Department, or any of its personnel as defendants in an official capacity;

Proposed and/or enacted legislations or Code of Massachusetts Regulations impacting the Office of Sheriff or the Sheriff’s Department;

Internal investigations and legal actions initiated by the department;

Exercise of law enforcement authority by department personnel;

Department correctional practices and inmates’ legal rights;

2. Represent the Sheriff’s Office in Massachusetts and Federal court, in arbitrations, negotiations, in administrative hearings, and any other legal venue as required by the Sheriff.

3. Analyze claims and lawsuits to determine potential liability and defenses to allegations, and recommend a course of action to the Sheriff.

4. Review customary business activities such as preparation and execution of bid specifications, proposals, agreements, grants, contracts, etc.

5. Correspond with inmates, as necessary, for purposes including, but not limited to, depositions, investigations, and the filing of necessary paperwork with government agencies.

6. Monitor the status of litigation filed against the department, maintain tracking charts and documentation files, and prepare updates; coordinates and supervises the internal processing of responses to litigation, including all aspects of discovery, and provide assistance as directed by the Sheriff, to ensure proper and timely filing of responses.

7. Liaison with outside counsel concerning all assigned matters including, but not limited to, litigation, personnel actions, employee relations, and collective bargaining.

8. Liaison for legal matters with other agencies such as the Office of the District Attorney, Trial Court, Massachusetts State Police, etc.

9. Attend staff meeting, as needed.

10. Shall act as the Affirmative Action Officer of the department and oversee Affirmative Action investigations.

11. As Step II Hearing Officer –

Review, hear, and issue findings to the Sheriff regarding employee grievances.

12. As Sexual Harassment Officer –

Investigate complaints of sexual harassment and staff sexual misconduct with inmates and report findings to the Sheriff.

13. As Legal Staff –

Perform legal research or handle legal matters to support the Sheriff and department counsel (i.e. review or draft pending, contracts, leases, attend depositions or other court appearances, handle inmate litigation, assist courtside counsel in gathering documents and information related to defense of inmate litigation, handle requests for public records, etc. )

14. Legal assistance / CMR regulatory compliance –

Provide legal assistance to department heads or other support staff, when necessary, regarding the application of Bristol County Sheriff’s Office policy and statutory administrative laws and regulations (i.e. inmate grievances, accreditation standards, assist staff in reviewing or establishing procedures and forms, assist regarding inquiries made by attorneys or family members of inmates, assist in responding to requests for inmate records, etc.)

15. Policy Review Board-

Review department policy based on content. This includes conducting annual and periodic reviews of Bristol County Sheriff’s Office policies consistent with applicable statutory law, administrative regulations, and relevant case law.

Draft, when necessary, and assist in the review and editing process of all policies and procedures. Review department policies with focus on content.

Supervise the policy and compliance unit of the Sheriff’s Office.

Assist in maintaining an internal audit system to regulate compliance with Federal and State Correctional Standards, as well as the Sheriff’s Office policies and procedures.

Communicate with all senior management and/or department supervisors on the updates of policies and procedures as related to the Sheriff’s Office.

Responsible for maintaining the integrity of original documentation as it pertains to policies and procedures.

Ensure all new and/or updated policies are distributed to the appropriate staff.

Inform staff through memorandum, briefings, or classroom instruction on current trends or changes in law as they relate to the department and its mission.

16. Assure legal reference materials are adequate and available for use by BCSO legal staff and for inmates at all facilities.

17. Perform legal research to support Sheriff and Department Counsel.

18. Regular and reliable attendance is required as an essential function of the position.

19. This position is considered essential and, in the event of an emergency may be required to report to work.

20. Perform related duties as required by the Sheriff or Sheriff’s designee.

Qualifications:

· Must have completed a Juris Doctoral program for an accredited law school.

· Must be admitted to the Massachusetts Bar.

· Minimum of ten years’ experience practicing law, with expertise in contracting, litigation, and policy development.

· Litigation experience in Massachusetts and Federal courts.

· Strong knowledge of state public records law, open meetings law, and ethics laws.

· Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to manage time and people.

· Able to work under pressure and navigate complex legal issues with finesse.

· The General Counsel/Chief of Legal and Policy must be an excellent communicator both verbally and in writing.

· Ability to establish rapport and working relationships with individuals from a wide variety of different cultural, ethnic, and economic backgrounds.

· Ability to understand, explain and implement policies and procedures, standards, guidelines, laws and regulations.

· Proven ability to interact in a team environment and to establish and maintain harmonious working relationships with peers, supervisors, and other agency representatives.

· Working knowledge of MS Windows, Word and Excel. Proven ability to accurately and concisely record information and maintain the integrity of the computerized database.

Pay will be commensurate with experience

Anyone wishing to apply should send a Letter of Interest and Resume to our HR Director at: caitlindemelo@bcso-ma.org

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $150,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Ability to Relocate:

• North Dartmouth, MA 02747: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person