General Counsel

Starting as one school in 1999, the Noble Network of Charter Schools (Noble) has grown to serve more than 12,000 students from 70 different communities at 18 separate campuses in Chicago, Illinois. The Noble Network of Charter Schools is Chicago’s largest and highest performing non-selective public school network. In 2015, Noble won the Broad Prize for Public Charter Schools awarded to the highest-performing network of charter schools in the country.

As an organization of over 1,400 full-time employees, tens of thousands of students and alumni, an operating budget of over $160 million dollars, and a growingly complex education and political climate, Noble is seeking a general counsel to lead Noble’s legal work and serve as primary counsel on day-to-day education and business matters.

Ideal candidates should have a strong background in the legal issues involved with serving students in a public education setting and helping a large non-profit run effectively, particularly in the areas of school policies and procedures, special education, employment law, contracts, governance, and related work. The position is expected to report to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and will also work closely with Noble’s senior leadership team and board of directors.

About Noble

Noble is Chicago’s highest-performing and largest network of public charter high schools. Our 18 schools and 1,400 employees currently serve over 12,300 students, 98% of whom are students of color, 89% low-income, and 83% first-generation college goers. The School Quality and Rating Policy scores for the Chicago Public Schools rated Noble campuses as ten of the top fifteen public high schools in the city. We believe our people are the most valuable asset in preparing our students to be successful in college and lead exemplary lives.

Key Responsibilities

Provide legal advice and guidance on education law, including: special education, charter law and authorization, student privacy, student disciplinary matters, and emergency response
Stay current on relevant laws and regulations and be a subject matter expert on education law, employment law, public records and open meetings law, and other relevant areas
Assist the organization in a wide variety of legal and non-legal work, including facilities acquisition, compliance and reporting, vendor relations and negotiations, governmental relations (including legislation analysis), and policy proposals
Provide counsel and support in the regular review of staff and student policies
Represent the network in front of boards, government agencies, parents, teachers, and key stakeholders on legal issues impacting the organization
Lead and improve coordination with organizational use of outside counsel, including cost efficiency
Develop relationships with other education lawyers and bring best practices to the organization
Assist the organization and schools as necessary on a variety of additional in-house legal matters and special projects in the spheres of communications, development, and external affairs, in collaboration with the executive and planning teams
Oversee Noble’s intake and response to FOIA requests
Skills and Characteristics

A deep-rooted passion for Noble’s mission and work in Chicago
An exemplary embodiment of Noble’s core values of results, respect, follow-through, diversity, equity & inclusion, humility and self-awareness
Ability to exercise considerable judgment and discretion in establishing and maintaining good working relationships in a way that is consistent with Noble’s culture and values
Strong legal reasoning, analytical and problem-solving skills
Capacity to analyze and articulate legal concepts and other complex issues to a variety of audiences
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial, and lean-non-profit environment
Excellent advocacy, oral and written communication skills
Detail-oriented and highly organized
Educational Background and Work Experience

J. D. (Juris Doctor) required with 7+ years of relevant experience obtained at a law firm, government agency or an educational institution
Licensed to practice in Illinois
Experience in education law (particularly special education law) highly desired, especially in the state of Illinois
Compensation

Compensation will be commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Application Process

Please be prepared to submit a resume and at least 3 professional references. Please direct inquiries about this role by clicking Apply to this Job below.