General Law Attorney (Fellowship Program)

Fellowship Program Position: This Fellowship Program position is a full-time, temporary, limited term assignment not to exceed three years from the date of hire. It is intended for individuals that have graduated with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited college or university within the last 12 months.

The General Law Attorney is responsible for providing legal and related services regarding general law and related matters in the areas of pension benefits, administrative law, contracting and procurement, and governance. The incumbent will render legal advice and counsel, participate and plan legal activities, draft and prepare legal documents, participate in hearings and trainings, and interpret laws and regulations. This position will proactively work with the TRS Legal & Compliance team, Executive staff, members of TRS executive and leadership teams, and agency employees.

WHAT YOU WILL DO:

General Law

• Assists with reviewing, researching, and providing legal advice on issues in the pension benefits, contracting and procurement, governance, and administrative law fields.
• Supports the GPS and Pension Benefits teams within Legal and Compliance with legal issues and team-related projects and objectives.
• Drafts legal documents including contracts, memoranda, correspondence, policies and procedures, and other related documents.
• Advises staff on legal matters and on the interpretation and applications of agency regulation and state and federal laws.
• Assists with implementation of legislation passed by the Texas Legislature, implementation of rules adopted by the TRS board of trustees, and compliance with federal laws affecting benefit programs and investments.

Fellowship Curriculum

• Participates in trainings and projects related to the TRS Fellowship Program including webinars, quarterly check-ins, classes or other learning activities, book group, projects, and the mentoring program.
• Meets TRS Fellowship Program deadlines and goals for completion of trainings in deliverables in a timely manner.

Legal and Compliance Support

• Researches, compiles, and analyzes data; enters data into spreadsheets, databases, and other automated applications; organizes and writes litigation and administrative appeal files; and prepares complex queries and reports.
• Reviews forms, correspondence, reports, and other documents for completeness and acceptability.
• Reviews and analyzes agency policies, procedures, and forms and recommends changes to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
• Completes special projects.