City Attorney

About the role

Under general administrative direction, this position plans, directs, manages, and oversees the activities and operations of the City Attorney's Office. It exercises direct supervision over professional and technical staff.

Responsibilities

• Assume full management responsibility for all services and activities provided by the City Attorney's Office including civil litigation, prosecution of misdemeanor criminal offenses in City and State courts, advising City officials and City Council on legal issues pertaining to their proposed actions, and preparing appropriate City ordinances, resolutions and other legal documents.
• Manage the development and implementation of the City Attorney's Office goals, objectives, policies, and priorities for each assigned service area; establish, within City policy, appropriate service and staffing levels; allocate resources accordingly.
• Continuously monitor and evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery methods and procedures; assess and monitor work load, administrative and support systems, and internal reporting relationships; identify opportunities for improvement; direct the implementation of changes.
• Represent the City Attorney's Office to other City departments, elected officials and outside agencies; explain and interpret City Attorney's Office programs, policies, and activities; negotiate and resolve sensitive, significant and controversial issues.
• Select, train, motivate and evaluate City Attorney's Office personnel; provide or coordinate staff training; work with employees to correct deficiencies.
• Plan, direct and coordinate the City Attorney's Office work plan; meet with staff to identify and resolve problems; assign projects and programmatic areas of responsibility; review and evaluate work methods and procedures.
• Manage and participate in the development and administration of the City Attorney's Office budget; direct the forecast of additional funds needed for staffing, equipment, materials, and supplies; direct the monitoring of and approve expenditures; direct the preparation of and implement budgetary adjustments as necessary.
• Cooky navigation/legal/EEO/equal-opportunity/scam-warning boilerplate, duplicated lines, and application instructions removed.

Requirements

Knowledge Of:

• Operations, services and activities of a comprehensive municipal law department.
• Organization and management practices as applied to the analysis and evaluation of programs, policies and operational needs.
• Organization, duties, powers, limitations, and authority of City government and the City Attorney's Office.
• Modern and complex principles and practices of municipal law program development and administration.
• Principles and applications of civil, criminal and administrative law including those relative to municipal operations, municipal finance, parliamentary procedures, and other legal proceedings.
• Judicial procedures and rules of evidence.
• Methods of legal research; established precedents applicable to municipal activities.
• Advanced principles and practices of budget preparation and administration.
• Principles of supervision, training and performance evaluation.
• Pertinent Federal, State, and local laws, codes and regulations.

Skills To:

• Operate modern office equipment including computer equipment.

Ability To:

• Provide administrative and professional leadership and direction for the City Attorney's Office.
• Develop, implement and administer goals, objectives, and procedures for providing effective and efficient legal services.
• Plan, organize, direct and coordinate the work of professional and technical personnel; delegate authority and responsibility.
• Select, supervise, train and evaluate staff.
• Represent the City in a wide variety of judicial and administrative proceedings.
• Prepare and present difficult cases in court.
• Present statements of law, fact and argument clearly and logically.
• Conduct research on complex legal problems and prepare sound legal opinions.
• Analyze a wide variety of legal issues and prepare diverse legal documents.
• Interpret and apply legal principles and procedures.
• Interpret and apply Federal, State and local policies, procedures, laws and regulations.
• Identify and respond to Mayor and City Council issues, concerns and needs.
• Exercise good judgment, flexibility, creativity, and sensitivity in resolving complex legal issues.