Assistant City Attorney

About the role

The City of Lansing's Office of City Attorney's Office is seeking an Assistant City Attorney. Candidates will have knowledge of legal principles and practices including civil, criminal, constitutional and administrative law and procedures; additionally, knowledge and/or experience in trial practice procedures, court rules, and the rules of evidence.

Responsibilities

• Represents the City in the State and Federal courts for jury trials, non-jury trials, formal hearings, motions and any attendant appeals.
• Directs, conducts, analyzes, organizes and obtains information, statements, witnesses, and evidence for the ongoing conducts of trials, defenses and appeals in all judicial and administrative bodies.
• Acts as an ombudsman screening complaints for individuals seeking warrants, letters, enforcement information, resolution of neighborhood complaints or general information about the City of Lansing or other law related information.
• Represents the City in complex civil litigation in various courts and tribunals.
• Investigates, researches, and drafts legal opinions in response to requests from Council Members, Department Heads, the Mayor and other City staff.
• Reviews claims filed against the City and makes recommendations to appropriate City personnel and committees.
• Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
• Contract review
• Legislative drafting

Requirements

• J.D. Degree from an accredited school of law, admission to and maintenance of membership in good standing with the State Bar of Michigan
• Physical Capacity Requirements: Sit, speak, hear, listen, finger dexterity &/or feeling, reaching, near vision and far vision. Valid license and ability to drive a motor vehicle.

Qualifications

None specified.

Skills

Legal knowledge, trial practice procedures, court rules, rules of evidence, investigative skills, writing and drafting legal opinions.

Benefits

Health Insurance: The City of Lansing shall offer at the time of hire the following choice of medical insurances. Coverage will be effective the first day of the month following the date of hire. If an employee chooses the non-base plan, they will be required to pay the difference between the base and non-base plan, in addition to any premium share.

Dental Insurance: The City pays the full premium costs for the Dental plan provided by the City; coverage includes the employee and family members.

Vision Plan: Employees are eligible for the BCBS VSP 12/12/12 Vision Plan. This plan provides vision exams, lenses, and frames, and contact lenses with a co-pay.

Life Insurance: The City pays the premium for a base $50,000 of group life and $50,000 Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance for full-time regular employees. Life insurance coverage for dependents is available for a reasonable cost to the employee, in accordance with the following schedule.

Medical and Dependent Care Reimbursement: Employees have the opportunity to pay for unreimbursed medical expenses, and dependent care costs with pretax dollars through AFLAC. AFLAC also offers supplemental insurances that may purchased on a pretax basis through payroll deduction.

Bereavement: At the time of the death of a spouse, child, stepchild, parent, stepparent and parent, an employee will be entitled to use a maximum of the next five (5) working days with pay, not to be deducted from the accumulated sick leave, to arrange for and/or attend the funeral. Additional time may be taken off with the approval of the department head and charged to vacation, personal leave, sick or compensatory time.

Holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Birthday, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Friday After Thanksgiving Day, Day Before Christmas, Christmas Day, Day Before New Year's Day.

Longevity: Following completion of five (5) years of continuous full-time service by October 1 of any year and continuing in subsequent years of such service, each employee shall receive annual longevity payments as provided in the schedule.

Vacation: A new full-time employee shall be credited with forty (40) hours vacation time credited to their leave bank following 6 months of service. After the first year of service the regular full-time employee will receive an additional forty (40) hours of vacation time credited to their leave bank. In subsequent years two (2) years through five (5) years of service, employees receive 10 days' vacation. Thereafter, employees will receive one (1) additional day per each year of additional full-time service, not to exceed a maximum vacation leave of 20 workdays.

Personal Leave: Employees receive two (2) personal leave days annually on January 1 or at time of hire and another two (2) personal leave days on July 1 of each year. The sixteen hours in each six-month period may not be combined or carried over. Personal days must be used by December 31, or they shall be forfeited.

Sick Leave: Employees shall be credited with 3.7 hours of sick leave each pay ending. (Approximately (1) one day per month), no maximum accumulation. Employees may use sick leave for absences due to his/her illness or injury, including pregnancy, or an illness or injury in his/her immediate family. No sick leave credit shall be accrued by an employee during an unpaid leave of absence. An employee who has accumulated 60 days of sick shall have the option at the end of the calendar year to relinquish and receive a reimbursement for up to the first five unused sick leave days accrued that year over 60 days.

Compensatory Time: Employees Subject to Fair Labor Standards Act: In lieu of receiving pay for overtime, which is worked, an employee may elect to receive compensatory time off earned at the rate of one and one-half (1 1/2) hours compensatory time off for one (1) hour of overtime worked. Compensatory time shall be cumulative up to a maximum total of eighty (80) hours. Employees Exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act: In lieu of receiving pay for overtime, which is worked, an employee may elect to receive compensatory time off earned at the rate of one and one-half (1 1/2) hours compensatory time off for one (1) hour of overtime worked. Compensatory time shall not be limited in its accrual during the fiscal year, provided that any amount in excess of one hundred twenty (120) hours shall be forfeited if not used by the end of the fiscal year.

Education Reimbursement: The City shall reimburse for tuition and lab fees for approved college level course work or other departmentally approved training or education programs which are taken off-duty. Costs shall be reimbursed at a rate not to exceed $400.00. Proof of attendance and successful completion of the course and proof of cost are required.

Parking/Transportation Subsidy: An employee shall be eligible for a monthly CATA bus pass at the City's expense or elect to receive a parking subsidy.

Deferred Compensation: Employees shall be eligible to participate in a deferred compensation program.