General Counsel

General Counsel

Salary: $160,000.00 - $170,000.00 Annually Location: Main Campus (Liberty Heights) Job Type: Full-Time Staff Job Number: 202500161 Department: Office of the President Opening Date: 03/06/2026 FLSA: Exempt Bargaining Unit: N/A

Description

About Baltimore City Community College Founded in 1947, Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) is a comprehensive, urban institution accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The Colleges campus is located in West Baltimore and courses are offered throughout the City. With its broad range of degree, certificate, and continuing education programs, affordable tuition, and extensive outreach, BCCC offers educational opportunities to the citizens of Baltimore City and throughout the state of Maryland.

BCCC serves over 7,500 students annually, providing credits that transfer to four-year colleges and universities as well as workforce training leading directly to job placement. The College is proud of the fact that over 50 nations are represented within the student body. Based on the annual unduplicated credit and non-credit headcount for FY 2023.

Description/Job Summary The General Counsel is the chief legal officer of the College, reports directly to the College President and is a member of the Presidents Cabinet. In conjunction with the Office of Attorney General (OAG), the General Counsel is responsible for managing the Colleges legal affairs, provides legal advice and services to the College, and works with the President, Board of Trustees, faculty and staff. The General Counsel may exercise oversight of College departments with functional responsibility for compliance with or interpretation of laws and regulations. The General Counsel is responsible for identifying legal concerns, working directly with the President and enlisting assistance from the OAG as appropriate.

Responsibilities/Duties

• Works directly with and communicates to the College President regularly on all matters that require substantive review and/or legal action.
• Receive and handle inquiries from College administrators, employees and student organizations including, but not limited to, such matters as employment issues, student affairs, insurance, risk management, use of federal and state funding, contracts and College policies.
• Provide timely, accessible and sound legal advice on legal issues arising in the context of higher education and Maryland state agency operations.
• Perform legal research and analysis regarding a wide range of legal, legislative, policy, administrative and institutional matters.
• Review and advise administrators and faculty on College policies, procedures, and handbooks, including drafts of new policies, procedures and handbooks.
• Oversee all legal matters involving the College, including litigation, real estate and labor issues.
• Review and provide counsel to administrators and faculty regarding proposed or existing College contracts.
• Advise College administrators on matters of compliance with state and federal laws and regulations and assist with corrective measures as needed.
• Work with the Office of Attorney General and coordinate the referral of matters to them.
• Facilitate direct communications between the College president and administrators and the Office of Attorney General.
• Manage communications with outside lawyers, including on matters that pose risk of liability.
• Draft legal communications on behalf of the College.
• Recommend operational and policy changes necessitated by legislative mandates.
• Develop policies and procedures to enable the College to accomplish its objectives.
• Receive, evaluate and respond to Freedom of Information Act/Maryland Public Information Act requests as appropriate and as required by law.
• Direct and participate in the research of state and federal legislation, and administrative and court decisions that are relevant to the College.
• Investigate legal problems and recommend action to appropriate administrators.
• Provide training and training materials on legal issues to appropriate constituencies when education is helpful to maintain or further College objectives.
• Advise the Assistant Vice VP of Human Resources with respect to personnel matters (including but not limited to disciplinary actions and preparing, negotiating and executing separation agreements).
• Provide legal advice and interpretation regarding matters related to employment law.
• Assist in the investigation of claims against the College, including employment claims brought before administrative agencies.
• Interpret and advise the College regarding implementation of collective bargained agreements between the College and employee unions.
• Participate in overseeing, identifying, evaluating, and analyzing risks in the operations of the College.
• Participate in formulating, implementing, administering and evaluating risk management strategies to efficiently and cost-effectively manage those risks.
• Manage and oversee the Office of the General Counsel.
• Perform other related duties incident to work described above.

Required Qualifications

• Have a law degree from an accredited law school.
• Possess a minimum of ten years experience as a practicing attorney.
• Be admitted to practice law in Maryland.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience representing community colleges, universities, or other educational institutions.
• A diverse and broad legal background.
• Thorough knowledge of the legal and regulatory landscape impacting colleges in Maryland and the United States (e.g., Title IX, ADA, FMLA, FERPA, state labor laws).

Diversity and Inclusion Statement BCCC is committed to providing a workplace free from discrimination or harassment. We expect every member of the BCCC community to do their part to cultivate and maintain an environment where everyone has the opportunity to feel included and is afforded the respect and dignity they deserve. Decisions related to hiring, compensating, training, evaluating performance, or terminating are made fairly. We examine our unconscious biases and take responsibility for always striving to create an inclusive environment that makes every employee and candidate feel welcome.

BCCC is the only community college in Baltimore City, one of 16 community colleges in Maryland, and both a higher education institution and a State of Maryland agency. As a state agency, the College is able to offer full-time, permanent PIN employees a host of benefits including a competitive salary and tuition remission. New College PIN employees will be invited to discuss benefit options with a personnel officer.

Benefits Benefits extended to all full-time PIN employees are as follows:

• State of Maryland health plans: (PPO, EPO, and/or HMO medical plans), vision and dental plans (PPO or DHMO).
• Retirement Plans: Include the State Employees Pension, Teachers Pension Systems, Optional Retirement Programs (ORP) and the Law Enforcement Officer Pension System.
• Supplemental Retirement Plans: 401(k), 403(b) and 457.
• Leave: 22 days of Annual Leave, 15 days of Sick Leave, 3 Personal Leave days, Leave Bank membership opportunities, 9 Holidays and a Winter Holiday break (5 days) observed between the Christmas and New Years Day holidays.
• Tuition Remission: To institutions within the University System of Maryland (USM).
• Professional Development opportunities.

To learn more details, visit our benefits page.

Employer InformationBaltimore City Community College (MD) Address: 2901 Liberty Heights Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland, 21215 Website: https://www.bccc.edu/