Legal Associate

Legal Associate

Nashville, TN (Hybrid)

4 months contract

Description

Tennessee State Board of Education: License Discipline Paralegal

The Tennessee State Board of Education (“State Board”) is seeking a full-time paralegal to support the team of attorneys handling educator license discipline cases. The paralegal will provide critical assistance with the case review process by opening misconduct cases reported to the State Board and requesting information from local school districts and others to assist the State Board’s case review process. The paralegal is also responsible for communicating with school districts, educators, and other stakeholders regarding license actions, and manages reporting of cases into state and national databases. This position will report to the Senior Associate General Counsel and will also be responsible for providing administrative support to the Board’s legal team and other teams as necessary. The ideal candidate will have a proven ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing, strong time management skills, and a commitment to teamwork and excellence.

This position is an important opportunity to ensure Tennessee continues to uphold a high bar for educator licensure and student safety, and to further the Board’s efforts to ensure that all students have access to great teachers and leaders.

About the Tennessee State Board of Education

The State Board’s mission is to ensure policies and systems are in place so that all Tennessee students are prepared for success after graduation. We work closely with the Tennessee Department of Education, local school districts, and stakeholders across the state to ensure equity, oversight, and transparency in K-12 education policy.

Additionally, the State Board is charged by law with complete jurisdiction over the issuance of K-12 educator licenses in Tennessee. This includes the intake of reports of educator misconduct from school districts, and responsibility for determining appropriate license discipline action including denial, formal reprimand, suspension, or revocation of an educator’s license.

Job Responsibilities

• The License Discipline Paralegal is responsible for the following:Supporting the team of license discipline attorneys to ensure effective management of
• educator license misconduct cases, including opening new cases, requesting information from stakeholders regarding reported cases, and interacting with a variety of stakeholders including school district representatives, governmental agencies, teachers, witnesses, and others to answer questions and collect necessary information to prepare files for litigation and review by attorneys and the State Board.
• Researching information related to license cases using relevant databases, the internet, etc.
• Providing administrative assistance to the State Board staff case review committee and the State Board including compiling and uploading all materials to electronic databases by established deadlines in preparation for monthly case review meetings and quarterly State Board meetings.
• Responding to requests from school districts and educators regarding license cases.
• Managing reporting to/from state and national licensure databases.
• Responding to all e-mails, phone calls, and other correspondence in a timely and customer-focused manner.
• Organizing and maintaining case files and a streamlined filing system in accordance with the State Board’s case management guide and the Records Disposition Authorization.
• Assist in complying with public records requests pursuant to the Tennessee Public Records Act, including compiling responsive documentation and performing all necessary redactions of confidential information.
• Assist with scheduling and hosting Webex meetings for the Board’s leadership team.
• Performing other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• We are seeking candidates who have:Strong communication and writing skills.
• Litigation/case management experience, or other demonstrated project-management
• experience in support of attorneys.
• Experience with case management software such as Caret Legal is a plus.
• Proven ability to produce high-quality work both independently and as part of a team.
• A demonstrated commitment to meeting and exceeding expectations, and a history of achieving stated objectives while managing varied, competing matters and projects.
• Strong personal presence and communication skills necessary to interact and develop
• positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• A dedication to teamwork, collaboration, transparency, and public service.

An associates or bachelor’s degree is required. Experience as a paralegal, paralegal certification, or experience working in education, with government agencies, or administrative procedure is a plus but not required.

The State Board’s office is located in Nashville, TN and operates under a hybrid working

arrangement that includes both in-office presence and remote work. Applicants must be located in or willing to relocate to the middle Tennessee/Nashville area.

Pursuant to the State of Tennessee’s Workplace Discrimination and Harassment policy, the State is firmly committed to the principle of fair and equal employment opportunities for its citizens and strives to protect the rights and opportunities of all people to seek, obtain, and hold employment without being subjected to illegal discrimination and harassment in the workplace. It is the State’s policy to provide an environment free of discrimination and harassment of an individual because of that person’s race, color, national origin, age

(40 and over), sex, pregnancy, religion, creed, disability, veteran’s status or any other category protected by state and/or federal civil rights laws.