Attorney

About the role

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) is dedicated to providing a just and efficient means to fairly and timely conduct investigations within its jurisdiction. COPA aims to determine whether allegations of police misconduct are well-founded, identify and address patterns of police misconduct, and make policy recommendations to improve the Chicago Police Department, thereby reducing incidents of police misconduct.

Responsibilities

• Provides advice on legal issues related to investigations including issues concerning local, state, and federal laws, statutes, and contracts.
• Provides legal counsel on topics such as: evidence collection, labor and employment including collective bargaining agreements and the employee’s duty to cooperate, and the interpretation and enforcement of statutes and ordinances.
• Advises the Investigators and Supervising Investigators on strategic and legal investigative matters, including investigative techniques and the strength of evidence obtained.
• Writes and edits summary investigative reports.
• Performs legal research; writes and edits legal memoranda on issues related to investigations.
• Prepares affidavits and other documents for criminal, civil or administrative actions.
• Collaborates with outside law enforcement and prosecutorial entities as appropriate.
• Provides training on legal issues as requested by senior management.
• Aids in the development of departmental policies, procedures, and programs, as required.

Requirements

• Graduation from an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school, plus three (3) years of work experience in the legal profession as a licensed attorney.
• Licensure, Certification, or Other Qualifications: Admission to the Illinois Bar (or eligible for admission on motion to the Illinois Bar pursuant to Illinois Supreme Court Rule 705).
• Prior Substantive Work Experience: At least one (1) year in one of the following areas: criminal law, constitutional law, labor law, administrative law, or police oversight.

Qualifications

• Writing Sample: Required. Must be an original work (either wholly or substantially authored by you) and must reflect legal reasoning, such as a legal memo, motion to court, legal article, or research paper. Must be no more than 10-15 pages in length and accompanied by a cover page explaining the sample's original purpose, when it was written, and the extent of editing by any third party.

Benefits

This position offers a salary of $90,144.00 annually (non-negotiable). The position is located at 1615 W. Chicago Ave, 4th floor, Chicago, IL 60622, with working hours from 9:00am to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday. The position is open to both current AFSCME BIDDERS and the public, with preference given to current City employees covered under the City’s Collective Bargaining Agreement with AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY, AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES (AFSCME) - BARGAINING UNIT 1, 3, 4, & 5.

Schedule

Monday - Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm.

Pay

$90,144.00/Annually (non-negotiable)

About You

COPA is seeking candidates with a strong focus on the following values:

• Integrity: Maintaining a commitment to honesty, personal responsibility, excellence, and utmost professionalism in the work performed by COPA and in all internal and external interactions.
• Transparency: Promoting the sharing of information about the work of COPA internally and externally in a manner not in conflict with City and COPA policy, such that the public trust in the mission of COPA is established and maintained.
• Independence: Conducting the business of COPA in a manner that is objective and free from political or other outside influences, such that the public trust in the mission and work of COPA is established and maintained.
• Timeliness: Conducting the business of COPA in a manner that promotes timely and fair resolution to all matters.

Selection Requirements

This position requires applicants to complete an interview and to submit a written sample. The interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position will be selected.

Writing Sample

All Writing samples submitted in consideration for employment must comply With The Following Criteria:

• The sample may either be a professional project report, academic project report, or an official communication related to a professional or academic project or a work-related report or communication.
• The sample must be no more than 10-15 pages in length.
• The sample must be accompanied by a cover page explaining: the sample’s original purpose (e.g., a writing class, a professional project, a memorandum for an employer, etc.), when (MM/DD/YYYY) and for whom the sample was written, the extent of editing by any third party; and if the writing sample is an excerpt from a larger document, identify that larger document and provide context, if necessary.

Education & Employment Requirements and Verification

You must provide information about your educational background and work experience including job titles, dates of employment (month/year), and specific job duties on your resume and/or application as it relates to the qualifications of the position for which you are applying.

Commitment to Diversity

To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience, the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference to applicants who meet minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces, and/or residents of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA) and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates to be referred to departments for consideration.

FAIR CHANCE HIRING EMPLOYER

The City of Chicago is committed to being a Fair Chance Hiring employer. We value applicants with diverse experiences, including those who have had prior contact with the criminal legal system. Having a criminal history, including prior incarceration, arrest(s), and/or conviction(s) does not automatically disqualify you from employment with the City of Chicago. If you receive a conditional offer of employment, the City will conduct a background check. The resulting report will be used to conduct an individualized assessment to determine if the nature of any prior conviction conflicts with the specific duties and responsibilities of the job for which you have been selected. If a conflict exists, you will be asked to present any evidence of rehabilitation that may mitigate the conflict, except when federal or state regulations bar employment in specific circumstances.

Reasonable Accommodation

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation due to disability or pregnancy in order to participate in the application process, please contact the City of Chicago, Department of Human Resources, at 312-744-4976 or disabilityaccommodations@cityofchicago.org. Please be prepared to provide information in support of your reasonable accommodation request.

Salary and Benefit Information

For more information regarding compensation with the City of Chicago, please visit this link. For more information regarding benefits, please visit this link.

Residency Requirement

All employees of the City of Chicago must be actual residents of the City as outlined in 2-152-050 of the City Chicago Municipal Code. Proof of residency will be required.