Deputy Chief Legal Counsel

About Us :

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As Ohio’s Secretary of State, Frank LaRose is doing his part to deliver a thriving democracy and a prosperous economy for all Ohioans.

In his role as the state’s chief elections officer, he is working to ensure that Ohio’s elections are both secure and accessible.

And, as the first stop for new businesses in the Buckeye State, he is assisting entrepreneurs as they receive articles of incorporation for a new business.

What You'll Do :

• Under the direction of the Chief Legal Counsel and Director of Public Policy, the Deputy Chief Legal Counsel assists with daily and strategic operational activities of the office, such as general legal research;
• the review and authoring of legal briefs, memoranda, and contracts; the review of pleadings, motions, affidavits, legislations, rules, and pending litigation;

and responding to SOS staff inquiries on legal matters, policies, and procedures. This position also manages staff Legal Counsel assigned to in-house legal duties.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Serves as the Deputy Chief Legal Counsel to assist the Chief Legal Counsel in designated legal matters & advises other counsel as needed.
• Advises & assists Secretary of State on legalities of policy & programmatic decisions, acts for the Secretary of State, Assistant Secretary of State and Chief of Staff on behalf of the Chief Legal Counsel and Director of Public Policy.
• Oversees the Office contract process drafts all RFPs and conducts negotiation of complex contract agreements required for projects, such as technology upgrades and the use of electronic voting equipment.
• Primary legal counsel for the Business Services division, including corporate Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) business filing(s).
• Monitors litigation involving the Secretary of State’s office and works with the Office of the Attorney General and Special Counsel to develop a strategy for legal defense of the office and to set forth the official legal position of the Secretary of State.
• Attends meetings, conventions & continuing legal education seminars; conducts reviews of office procedures, programs & policies and required and relevant training on legal matters;

performs other related duties as required by the Chief Legal Counsel.

• Oversees the review and response of all public records requests sent to the Ohio SoS office and the office’s records retention policy.
• Oversees all ethics filings required of Ohio SoS staff, by the Ohio Ethics Commission and the Joint Legislative Ethics Commission.
• Responsible for the ongoing upkeep and compliance with the Ohio SoS Authority Manual.
• Responsible for assisting in drafting and filing administrative rules with the Joint Committee On Agency Rule Review (JCARR).
• Responsible for overseeing the Ohio Notary Public adjudication process.

What’s in it for you :

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 .

Qualifications

Education

Required : Juris Doctor degree from an accredited college or university. Current law license and a certificate of good standing from the Supreme Court of Ohio.

Experience

• Required : 8-15 years of experience including 3-5 years’ experience managing a team of legal staff.
• Preferred : Experience with Ohio public records law. Understanding of election law. Familiarity with framework of Ohio state government.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills; establish and maintain interpersonal relationships.
• Proficiency in drafting, reviewing, and revising legal documents such as memos, contracts, policies, and rules.
• Proficiency in conducting legal research, analyzing statutes, case law and legal precedents to provide informed legal opinions and recommendations.
• Follow SOS policies and procedures, as well as applicable state and federal laws and administrative code as they relate.
• Interpret and follow a variety of instructions in written, oral, or picture format.
• Use proper research methods in gathering data; gather, collate & classify information about data, people or things.
• Keen attention to detail, accuracy in work and organization skills.
• Handle sensitive and confidential inquiries.

Technology

Microsoft Office 365 Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook; Lexis / Nexis or similar.

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