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Title

General Counsel of the United Church of Christ, Application Close Date: September 25, 2015 
Ministry Team Office of the General Minister and President  
Reports To General Minister and President and UCCB  
FLSA Status Exempt  
Salary Grade  
Full-Time/Part-Time Full-Time  
Category Office of the General Minister and President  
Starting Salary  
Description

GENERAL PURPOSE OF POSITION: 

On behalf of the General Synod, the United Church of Christ Board carries on the work of the United Church of Christ (“UCC”).  It considers the work of all Covenanted, Affiliated, and Associated Ministries and correlates its work, publicity and promotion, preventing duplication and effecting economics of administration, so as to secure maximum effectiveness and efficiency through careful stewardship of personnel and financial resources.

The General Counsel of the United Church of Christ is to serve as a common source of legal advice, counsel, and representation for the General Synod, United Church of Christ Board, Covenanted Ministries, and Conferences of the United Church of Christ and their successors in interest.  (S)he is to provide and coordinate legal services; to minimize legal risks and costs; and to do so effectively, responsibly, and professionally.

 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Office of General Counsel is charged with being the initial and preferred point of contact for all legal issues from the General Synod, United Church of Christ Board, the Covenanted Ministries, Church Building and Loan Fund Corporation, Common Services Corporation, 700 Prospect Corporation, United Church of Christ Hotel Venture LLC, and their successors in interest.  Legal issues arising from Conferences, Associations, and other covenant partners are also referred after consulting with the Conference attorney or outside counsel if the Conference, Association, or covenant partner so chooses.  All legal matters will then be addressed by attorneys in the Office of General Counsel, or the General Counsel will refer select matters to such other attorneys as may be appropriate, including outside legal counsel retained for such purposes.

The General Counsel will have overall responsibility for coordinating all legal activities of the participating ministries.  This executive will be the principal legal officer with responsibility for coordinating and managing both internal and external legal resources.  The General Counsel will serve as the principal legal advisor to the General Synod, United Church of Christ Board and any successor settings, as well as the General Minister and President, the United Church of Christ Officers and Covenanted Ministry Executives, the Chief Administrative Officer and executive management members in decisions relating to the United Church of Christ’s ministries currently and as they may evolve.

The General Counsel will be responsible for, and knowledgeable of, legal and operational structuring of the United Church of Christ and its covenanted settings, including, but not limited to, the following:

 

  • Corporate and Transactional.  The General Counsel will support corporate functions including contract negotiations and review, and real estate legal work.  The General Counsel will have responsibility for all legal aspects of the participating ministries’ intellectual property functions.  In addition, the General Counsel will support the Common Services Corporation and oversee employment and labor legal work including advice on federal and state labor, employment and contract law.  The General Counsel will handle all legal and ethical matters relating to meetings of the General Synod and the United Church of Christ Board.
  • Litigation.  The General Counsel will provide litigation support, management, and oversight services to the participating ministries.  The General Counsel will manage legal relations with outside counsel and auditors.
  • Special Projects.  The General Counsel will handle project work that has an impact across the United Church of Christ and often is integration related, needs consolidation, or some type of coordination.  Examples include conflict of interest and whistleblower policies, and governance.  The General Counsel takes on projects in their infancy and completes them if they are finite or systematizes them.
  • Legal Administration.  The General Counsel will plan, develop, and implement all administrative policies, procedures and controls for legal functions provided to the participating ministries. Functions will include the hiring, oversight and compensation of the Associate General Counsel, and administrative staff and para-professionals, related technology management, outside counsel bill review and management, and other special projects as deemed necessary by the General Counsel.

 

The General Counsel will have a shared responsibility in representing the UCC to outside constituencies, including local, state and federal legislatures, regulatory agencies, as well as other significant external parties. This executive will be a principal advisor in governance to the General Synod and United Church of Christ Board.

 

In particular, the General Counsel will:

 

  • Participate in the definition and development of mission and ministry priorities, policies, procedures, and programs and, in connection therewith, provide continuing counsel and guidance on legal matters and on legal implications of all matters to the General Synod, United Church of Christ Board, Collegium of Officers, and members of executive management. To this end, the General Counsel attends all meetings of senior management, and meetings of  the General Synod, United Church of Christ Board, Collegium of Officers, Cabinet of Conference Ministers, Council of Conference Ministers and any of their committees including, but not limited to, their executive committees, as deemed necessary and/or appropriate.

 

  • Reconcile and determine the legal position of the General Synod and the participating ministries in all legal matters.

 

  • Advise the United Church of Christ Board, United Church of Christ officers and Covenanted Ministry Executives, members of executive management, and the participating ministries on the impact of existing and proposed local, state, and federal laws and regulations and judicial and administrative decisions on the activities and proposed activities of the participating ministries.

 

  • Judge the merit of major court cases filed against or on behalf of the participating ministries and approve, with appropriate consultations and input, settlement of such court cases where warranted.

 

  • Evaluate, manage and mitigate the legal risks to which participating ministries are exposed, in order to permit these risks to be accurately reflected in UCC financial statements.

 

  • Guide and direct the preparation and maintenance of the records of participating ministries.

 

  • In consultation with the General Minister and President, or his/her designee, prepare the budget for the Office of the General Counsel and manage all legal expenditures.

 

  • In terms of professional personnel and compensation, and subject to UCC Common Personnel Policies and procedures:

 

  • Hire, supervise, evaluate the performance of and determine the compensation of the Associate General Counsel and any other in-house corporate lawyers
  • Determine legal staffing strategy, including lawyers, paralegals and support staff
  • Establish processes and standards for the selection, retention, management and evaluation of all outside counsel representing the participating ministries.

 

  • Provide the Oversight Committee with reporting on the performance of the legal function including types of matters, budgets and budget performance, outside counsel performance and utilization, staffing and planning.

 

OVERSIGHT

 

The General Counsel is accountable and has unfettered access to the United Church of Christ Board and any successors in interest, while at the same time reports directly to the Chair of the United Church of Christ Board and the General Minister and President. 

 

The Oversight Committee will be responsible for airing advice and counsel to the General Counsel, monitoring the  development of this office, and serving as the initial point of accountability for the General Counsel. The three (3) members of the Oversight Committee shall be the Chair of the United Church of  Christ Board, the General Minister and President, and the Chair of the Cabinet of Conference Ministers. The General Minister and President will serve as convener. In carrying out the ministry of the office, the General Counsel will take policy direction from the Oversight Committee. The Oversight Committee will annually evaluate the performance of the General Counsel and of the quality of the partnership between the participating ministries.

 

This position is required to be located in Cleveland.

 
Position Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

  • Excellent academic credentials, including a Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school
  • A member of the bar of one of the fifty states; admission to the Ohio Bar expected within a reasonable time
  • 9+ years of experience and increasing responsibility in the practice of law, including law firm experience
  • Excellent interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills
  • High integrity and a good reputation
  • Desire and competency to work in diverse racial, ethnic, cultural and religious settings with commitment to pluralism in the workplace as well as an understanding of mission
  • Outstanding judgment, in legal matters and in matter with possible legal or reputational ramifications
  • Ability to operate flexibly and effectively in a fast-paced, constantly changing environment
  • Multi-national and multi-cultural experience preferred
  • Experience in supervising personnel
  • Close familiarity with the nature and polity of the United Church of Christ
  • Experience and expertise in nonprofit corporation law, church/state relationships, and the unique legal issues affecting charitable religious organizations
  • Experience in areas of employment law, contracts, insurance coverage, real estate law, and tax exemption
  • Experience in litigation
  • Experience in developing and giving educational presentations or teaching experience
  • Excellent technological skills including common legal databases and legal research as well as commonly used word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software
  • Ability to travel within the United States up to 35% as required

Personal characteristics

This individual must:

  • Be intellectually bright and inquisitive
  • Be proactive in approach; must be able to anticipate issues in advance and deal effectively with their resolution
  • Be able to command the trust and respect of other members of executive management and the United Church of Christ Board
  • Be an individual whose opinions and advice are sought and respected
  • Have a ‘can do’ attitude, but someone who can say ‘no’ in a manner which is neither offensive nor obstructionist
  • Have the highest ethical principles
  • Be able to work with team members, drawing on their strengths to achieve a common goal

 

This job description is not intended to be a complete list of all duties and responsibilities required for the position and are subject to review and change at any time in accordance with the needs of the ministry. Since no job description can detail all duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time in the performance of a position, duties and responsibilities that may be inherent in a position shall also be considered part of the position holder’s responsibility.

It is expected that the person who holds this position will conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the policies of the UCC and in a manner that will reflect positively on the organization. All staff are encouraged to nurture safety within the work performed on behalf of the UCC by being attentive to self-care, education, maintaining appropriate boundaries, and the importance of referring those in need to supportive and helpful resources.

 

The United Church of Christ National Ministries is a multicultural, multiracial, open and affirming, accessible to all, EOE.

 
Comprehensive Benefits Package Employer paid health, dental, life, and pension benefits  
Application Deadline September 25, 2015  
About the Organization The United Church of Christ



Our faith is 2000 years old. Our thinking is not.



We believe in God's Continuing Testament.

We believe in Extravagant Welcome

We believe the church's mission is to Change Lives



 
EOE Statement The United Church of Christ National Setting celebrates diversity and an inclusive environment for all employees. We are committed to a workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the broad spectrum of our diverse society. We endeavor to recruit employees from backgrounds that vary by race, color, national origin, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, genetic information, past, present or future service in the uniformed services, religion, or any other legally protected characteristic under applicable federal, state or local law. We are proud to be a multicultural, multiracial, open and affirming, accessible to all, equal opportunity employer.  

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