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AvalonBay Communities · 1 day ago

Legal Operations Specialist

Arlington, VA

Full-time

Onsite

Mid Level

3+ years exp

AvalonBay Communities, Inc. is a leading equity REIT focused on developing and managing distinctive apartment homes. The Legal Operations Specialist will support the Legal team by managing resident-related legal matters, facilitating internal inquiries, and ensuring compliance and operational excellence across the organization.

HospitalityProperty DevelopmentProperty ManagementReal Estate

Growth Opportunities

Responsibilities

Operations Legal Request Triage and Management

Review incoming legal requests of a residential services nature via the ServiceNow platform and determine the appropriate response pathway, including assigning a category, setting a legal priority level, and designating a relevant attorney for review, as well as identifying improper requests and redirecting as needed

Respond directly to routine policy questions and standard legal inquiries within established guidelines

Investigate resident complaints and escalate complex matters requiring legal analysis to appropriate attorneys with clear summaries, factual timelines, and recommendations; if necessary, identify and request missing information prior to escalation

Maintain accurate tracking of all requests, deadlines, response times, and resolution status

Draft standard correspondence, notices, and letters using approved templates and precedents

Provide guidance to operations staff on routine compliance matters, fair housing requirements, and company policies

Conduct the initial review of lease break requests based upon legal exceptions (e.g., military, domestic violence, moving into assisted living) and provide recommendations

Conduct the initial review of resident accommodation and modification requests and provide recommendations and/or decisions with guidance from attorneys

Under guidance from attorneys, research and interpret applicable housing laws, regulations, and company procedures to support Operations teams

Coordinate with Operations teams to gather necessary information for legal responses

Review and analyze online reviews that reference legal issues, identifying potential risks, escalating as appropriate, and documenting findings

Identify patterns in requests to recommend process improvements and additional training needs

Support development of training materials for Operations teams on legal compliance topics

Develop and maintain response templates, FAQs, and guidance documents

Assist with document organization, filing, and record-keeping for legal matters

Support special projects as assigned by the Legal team

Maintain an in-office presence to support document handling, resident interactions, and direct collaboration with Legal and Operations teams

Qualification

Fair housing lawsLandlord-tenant regulationsResidential property managementParalegal certificationMulti-family real estateCustomer serviceLegal researchDocument organization

Required

3+ years of experience in residential property management, housing compliance, legal, or related field

Strong working knowledge of fair housing laws, landlord-tenant regulations, and ADA requirements

Demonstrated experience exercising independent judgment when handling customer service issues and/or responding to policy violations, ensuring appropriate action is taken in accordance with organizational guidelines

Preferred

Bachelor's degree preferred

Deep familiarity with multi-family real estate operations preferred

Paralegal certification or legal studies coursework a plus

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits — health, dental and vision, 401(k) with company match, paid vacation and holidays, tuition reimbursement, an employee stock purchase plan and more.

A 20% discount on our incredible apartment homes.