Full Time
Associate General Counsel: Cathedral Square
Legal - Cleveland, OH
Position Announcement
The Catholic Diocese of Cleveland ASSOCIATE GENERAL COUNSEL
The Catholic Diocese of Cleveland was founded on April 23, 1847. It is the twenty-third largest diocese in the United States. Under the leadership of the Most Reverend Edward J. Malesic, the diocese encompasses the counties of Cuyahoga, Summit, Lorain, Lake, Geauga, Medina, Wayne and Ashland. There are more than 670,000 Catholics in the Diocese. There are 184 parishes, 107 Catholic schools, 1 pastoral center and 1 mission office within the diocese. The cathedral is the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, located in downtown Cleveland. Members of the diocesan staff support the Bishop in ministering to the people of God by working together to provide vision, leadership and service to continue the mission of Jesus to transform the world. As a community, they are committed to live by the values of faith, dignity, stewardship and justice. Members of the diocesan staff support the Bishop in ministering to the people of God by working together to provide vision, leadership and service to continue the mission of Jesus to transform the world. As a community, they are committed to live by the values of faith, dignity, stewardship and justice.
Position: Associate General Counsel
The Diocese of Cleveland is currently seeking qualified candidates for its Associate General Counsel position. Under the direction of the General Counsel, this role serves to uphold and advance the mission, values, ministry and evangelization charge of the Catholic Church and the Diocese of Cleveland, by providing legal advice and representation to the Diocese and its parishes and other internal stakeholders in the following ways:
Review, prepare, and/or negotiate all manner of contracts for the Diocese and Parishes including general services contracts, IT agreements, vendor contracts, etc.
- Review, prepare, and/or negotiate all manner of construction contracts, including AIA contracts, design build contracts, architect contracts, and engineer contracts.
- Handle all manner of real estate transactions and matters including purchases, sales, leases, and license agreements, and preparing real property tax exemption applications.
- Provide legal advice and representation to the Diocese and its parishes and schools on a wide variety of employment related matters and issues.
- Provide legal advice and representation to Diocesan and parish schools on a wide variety of school related matters, and collaborate with the Diocesan Office of Catholic Education on various initiatives.
- Advise the Diocese, parishes, and affiliated corporations on governance related issues including the formation of new corporations or LLC’s when appropriate.
- Provide legal advice to the Diocese and parishes regarding charitable law (including tax issues, endowment issues, charitable gambling, liquor laws, etc.)
- Assists the General Counsel in protecting the Diocese and its parishes against legal risk and liability by identifying issues relative to compliance with applicable laws and in advising the Diocese and its parishes generally about relevant legal issues affecting their operations.
- Works with the General Counsel to provide analysis and advice to the Diocese and its parishes relative to proposed legislation and existing statutes.
- Works with the General Counsel to provide analysis and advice pertaining to Diocesan and parish policies, including but not limited to employee handbooks/ personnel policies as well as the Diocesan Construction and Renovation Guidelines.
- Works with the General Counsel to review all applications from organizations seeking to establish tax exemption through inclusion in the Official Catholic Directory and the IRS
- Responsible for assisting the General Counsel in recruiting, hiring, training, motivating and supervising the staff of the legal office of Diocese.
Qualifications:
- Must be a practicing Catholic. Demonstrated knowledge of the Catholic Church, its teachings and traditions. Strong Commitment to the mission, ministry and evangelization charge of the Roman Catholic Church.
- Juris Doctorate degree and current license to practice law in the State of Ohio; or ability to obtain required licensure upon appointment.
- Minimum three to five years of successful engagement in the practice of law or equivalent experience, education or training, with significant experience in one or more of the following areas: Employment law, school law, real estate transactions, construction law, general contract negotiation, or corporate law and governance.
- Ability to work independently and willingness to learn new practice areas.
- Sophisticated discernment and appropriate discretion in the handling of sensitive, confidential and critical information.
Please submit cover letter, resume, and a completed Diocese of Cleveland Employment application, including contact information for three (3) professional references.
Position will remain open until it is filled.
Please note that this is an onsite position located within our Cathedral Square offices.
Application: docemploymentapplication7.pdf