Legal Counsel

Description:

Job Description:
The Director of Legal Affairs and Risk Management manages the Legal Affairs Program and provides legal guidance, briefings and updates on legal issues affecting the Association, its membership and real estate industry. The Director of Legal Affairs and Risk Management is involved in implementing legal and regulatory affairs strategies in furtherance of the REALTORS® mission statement, code of ethics, and strategic partnerships.
Responsibilities:

• Manage, research, and maintain the legal hotline to offer legal guidance to real estate brokers.
• Manage, research, and develop legal updates, bulletins, and broker briefings for publishing to membership in collaboration with the Communications Department.
• Manage, research, and develop a legal library of advisory opinions and guidance on important issues affecting the membership and real estate industry.
• Monitor legal decisions and court rulings and draft summaries and advisory opinions of how these decisions affect the industry and membership.
• Work with staff in developing the Legal Affairs Program and implementing legal and regulatory affairs strategies.
• Work with the Government Affairs staff to develop and research public policy positions on issues and initiatives that affect membership, the real estate industry and/or current or prospective property owners in Iowa.
• Work with the Government Affairs staff in drafting legislation, monitoring and evaluating proposals, regulations and administrative decisions from agencies affecting real estate.
• Support the Professional Standards Administrator in the processing and administration of ethics complaints and arbitration and mediation requests (including public inquiries), hearings, appeals and procedural reviews in accordance with the National Association of REALTORS® Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.
• Develop information for members on important professional standards training for Professional Standards Committee members based on feedback and trends observed in professional standards cases.
• Revise and draft new standard forms, as approved by appropriate Forms Committee and Risk Management Committee, to ensure compliance with current laws and regulations.
• Oversee contractual agreements with and operations of standard forms vendors.
• Maintain up-to-date forms index, forms instruction and office policy manuals.
• Work with Professional Development Director in the creation of professional development or risk mitigation curriculum and teach on behalf of the IAR Education Department when called upon.
• Grow Legal Affairs Program to locate opportunities for Association to file friend of the court briefs in state circuit and appellate courts on important issues affecting the membership, Association and real estate industry.
• Perform other duties as may be assigned.

Qualifications:
The ideal candidate for this position will possess the following professional qualifications:

• Law degree and admitted to practice in Iowa required.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in real estate, policy, appellate, regulatory and/or administrative law.
• Strong written and oral communications skills.
• A visible track record of project management skills.
• Real estate background preferred.

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