Associate Attorney – Private School Practice

Folger Levin LLP is looking for an attorney with five or more years of law firm or in-house experience to join our Schools & Educational Organizations practice group. We offer a diverse and intellectually challenging practice that focuses on helping non-profit independent schools and other educational organizations solve the complex legal problems that confront them in California.

We serve as trusted advisors to boards, heads of school, business officers, and human resources professionals, helping them address the unique issues faced by independent schools, as well as the broad range of laws that impact businesses and non-profits more generally. In collaboration with attorneys in our Labor & Employment, Corporate & Real Estate, and Litigation departments, our services include advising on complex board governance matters, crisis management issues, employment law compliance, and student matters such as discipline, accommodations, and privacy; conducting trainings on employment, board governance and school-specific topics; and preparing agreements and policies.

About the Position

For this position, key job responsibilities include the following:

• Providing advice and preventative counseling to schools on the full range of laws affecting California employers, including in the areas of discrimination and harassment, wage-and- hour, leaves, and wrongful termination.
• Conducting trainings on various issues, including compliance with employment and education laws, harassment prevention, and mandatory reporting of child abuse.
• Preparing and updating employee, student, and family handbooks, and other school policies.
• Advising boards on corporate governance matters.
• Preparing and negotiating agreements on behalf of schools, including employment, enrollment, vendor, and independent contractor agreements.
• Providing advice on student safety and discipline issues, privacy laws, and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Conducting legal research and analysis

Qualifications

We look for candidates who can be part of the long-term future of our practice group and our firm. We recognize that expertise in the broad range of substantive areas described above will need to be developed over time. We seek candidates who have a minimum of five years of experience working with clients in one or more of the areas of employment or education, law, as well as excellent legal research and analytical skills. Prior experience working with private schools or other nonprofits is particularly valuable. We also value experience outside the practice of law that shows leadership, problem-solving skills, and a commitment to community service.

In addition, we seek candidates who are members of the California bar and who:

• Enjoy Collaboration . We believe that the highest quality legal work results from collaboration among talented lawyers. We seek candidates who enjoy working as part of a team with smart, supportive, and enthusiastic colleagues.
• Lead With Curiosity and Analyze with Care . No one has all the answers. Our most successful colleagues actively participate in mentorship opportunities, and demonstrate vulnerability in asking questions and learning new things. They love to brainstorm with their colleagues, and comfortably admit when they don’t have all the answers. And when confronted with new issues, they are willing to dive into primary and secondary sources in order to analyze those issues thoroughly.
• Desire to be of Service to Others . We are passionate about solving problems for our clients, and seek candidates who find professional fulfillment in helping clients and colleagues address difficult legal issues.
• Exhibit an Empathetic Mindset . The ability to understand, hear and listen to the needs and worries of clients is critical to effective representation. We particularly value colleagues who are able to see things from multiple points of view and use that perspective to develop effective solutions.
• Demonstrate Effective Communication Skills . Our attorneys are constantly explaining difficult legal issues to client representatives, many of whom are not lawyers. Clear oral and written communications regarding goals, strategies, and risks is essential to effective representation and to developing meaningful relationships with clients and colleagues.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary for this position will be between $220,000 and $275,000, depending on experience and qualifications.

We also offer full-time employees the following benefits: Paid time off at a rate of twenty-six days per year; participation in group health insurance plan (including medical and dental) at no cost to employee; employee life, accident, and long-term disability insurance; up to twelve weeks of paid medical and family leave after one year of employment; and, after one year of employment, participation in the firm’s 401(k) Plan.

We have adopted a hybrid work model, in which employees can work partially remotely, and partially from our offices in downtown San Francisco.

About Folger Levin

Located in San Francisco, Folger Levin is a boutique, full-service firm. We are known for delivering sophisticated legal services of the highest quality in an environment marked by a commitment to enhancing the personal and professional fulfillment of our colleagues.

When this firm was founded, we agreed to serve as stewards of the firm for future generations and aspired to create relationships marked by trust, collaboration, open communication, respect, and an understanding that our joint responsibility for the firm is a source of excitement and pride. That goal continues to shape our approach to client relationships, hiring, and professional development.

We have structured our firm to align our interests with those of our clients, and to create an environment in which attorneys and staff can establish long-term, satisfying, and fulfilling careers. By way of example, we recognize that the common law firm practice of imposing minimum billable hour requirements can create incentives that do not serve the interests of our attorneys, or of our clients. Because service is about quality, not quantity, we do not impose a billable-hour target. Our focus is on devoting as much time as is necessary – no more, no less – to deliver excellent client service, while having the capacity to devote time to learning, growth (professional development), and community service.

We also know that we develop deeper relationships with each other and with clients when we have limited turnover. Every time we hire a new attorney, it is with the hope that this new member of our team will become a partner in the firm. This sets us apart from some firms whose business model depends on a large number of associates and fewer partners. Our focus on long-term relationships directly impacts the quality of the associate experience, as we are motivated to assign interesting work, provide hands-on mentoring, help associates develop direct client relationships, offer a realistic path to partnership, and avoid associate burnout.

Mentorship

We are committed to providing active mentoring, and thereby help talented professionals develop into superb attorneys. Our associates work closely with partners in small teams, affording associates the opportunity to have significant input into strategy and decision-making. Associates can expect to receive detailed and constructive feedback from experienced attorneys on their research and analysis, writing, strategic decision-making, and oral and written communication skills. Such feedback is necessary to develop a robust understanding of the myriad laws that impact non-profits and businesses. Equally important, such feedback helps associates develop their own authentic, effective approach to advising clients.

Our firm also believes in the value of cross-disciplinary mentoring. So, in addition to working with partners in the Schools & Educational Organizations practice group, associates can expect to develop relationships with partners from our other departments. For example, schools frequently confront corporate transactional and employment issues, creating opportunities to work with partners in our business and labor and employment departments. Associates can always find a partner happy to brainstorm on solving client problems.

To Apply

If interested, please email a cover letter, resume, law school transcript, and writing sample to

For more information about our firm,

EEO Statement

At Folger Levin, we are committed to a policy of equal employment for all applicants and employees. We encourage applicants with experience outside of the law that shows their commitment to community service. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.