2026 Assistant General Counsel - Litigation/Transactional

Under the general supervision of the Chief General Counsel or designee, the Assistant General Counsel manages a wide array of legal matters essential to protecting the legal interests of the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) and its subsidiary and affiliate organizations, while ensuring compliance with all applicable laws. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a proactive, organized, and solutions-oriented approach to providing legal advice and counsel and will actively support the Authority’s mission, vision, and values while enhancing workplace culture for internal and external stakeholders.
   

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Strong understanding of relevant laws Strong understanding of laws, regulations, and best practices related to a broad range of legal matters.
• Daily in-office attendance is essential due to the highly unpredictable nature of the job and number of in-person, spontaneous, and rapidly changing meetings and assignments, the need to access hardcopy documents and files not readily available offsite, the need to shadow and/or provide other co-workers with hands-on training and instruction, the need to quickly locate and engage with co-workers who are on-site but not readily available by phone or email, the need to interact face-to-face and maintain a constant presence in the office to assist walk-in clients (both internal and external) and to build trust and rapport amongst colleagues while developing stronger interpersonal relationships that facilitate solid, trustworthy, and productive teamwork within the department and throughout the Authority as a whole.   
• Process, review, manage, and respond to subpoenas and public records requests. 
• Provide legal advice and counsel on a wide array of legal issues (e.g., housing, evictions, real estate, construction, labor & employment, personal injury, transactional/contractual matters, corporate, bankruptcy, foreclosure, Section 1983 litigation, among other areas). 
• Manage and oversee all phases of litigation, including pleadings, discovery, motion practice, trial preparation, appeals, and drafting and negotiating settlement agreements.
• Provide comprehensive pre- and post- litigation counseling to mitigate risks and potential liability.
• Represent CMHA in mediations, arbitrations, administrative hearings, and various court proceedings. 
• Conduct legal research and analysis to support litigation strategies and ensure compliance with relevant laws.
• Collaborate with external/outside counsel, as needed, to manage various litigation matters.
• Draft, review, and revise resolutions for approval by the CMHA Board of Commissioners.
• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of contracts, agreements, and other legal and transactional documents, including procurement agreements, vendor contracts, grant agreements, construction contracts, deeds, releases, promissory notes, mortgages, sales contracts, lease agreements, development agreements, easements, and other relevant real estate agreements and transactional documents.
• Manage, facilitate, and serve as an administrator for all aspects of CMHA’s end-to-end contract lifecycle management system (CLMS).
• Prepare and present training for CMHA staff on various legal topics, including legal compliance and risk mitigation strategies.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of legal trends and developments affecting CMHA’s operations.
• Collaborate with various internal departments to ensure effective handling of legal matters and consistent application of policies and procedures.
• Must be proactive and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines effectively.
• Must possess strong oral and writing skills to effectively communicate complex risk and legal concepts to various stakeholders, including executives, staff, and external vendors.
• •    Ability to artfully influence and persuade logically, cogently, and persuasively. This requires a diplomatic approach while remaining focused on the Authority’s goals and priorities.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and essential functions of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by personnel so classified.

Education and/or Experience

• A Juris Doctorate Degree required. Must be admitted to the Ohio and Federal Bar for the Northern District of Ohio.
• Minimum of three (3) years of legal experience, preferably in a public sector or housing authority environment.
• An understanding of public housing law and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development regulations is desired.

Skills                                                                 

• Strong understanding of laws, regulations, and best practices related to a broad range of legal matters.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and organizational skills.
• Proactive, detail-oriented, and capable of managing multiple matters simultaneously.
• Strong legal research and writing skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated ability to build positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe software.
   

Other: Possession of a valid Ohio Vehicle Operator's license and insurability under CMHA standards.

The qualifications listed above are guidelines, other combinations of education and experience that could provide the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the job will be considered.

COVID-19 Vaccination Information

The Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority requires evidence of full COVID-19 vaccination for newly hired employees.* * CMHA will consider requests for reasonable accommodations for religious or medical reasons as required under applicable law. For more information please contact CMHA’s Human Resources at 216-348-5030 (voice) or email HRDir@cmha.net. * The Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA") requires CMHA to maintain confidentiality of employee medical information. Any information provided will be kept confidential and will be stored separately from the employee’s personnel files as required under the ADA.

We offer a comprehensive employee benefits package including: Health Insurance Coverage, Various Retirement Planning Options (Ohio Public Employee Retirement System and Deferred Compensation Plans), Group and Voluntary Life Insurance, Flexible Spending Accounts, Employee Assistance Program, Free Parking at our facilities and more!  We also have a very active Health & Wellness Program that promotes a life/work balance.

To view our benefits, click here.