Senior Litigation Attorney

About the role

The holder of this position will be a senior attorney handling a wide range of civil litigation matters on behalf of City-County agencies, with a focus on more complex or high-stakes matters that require significant professional experience and/or subject-matter expertise.

The primary responsibility of a senior litigation attorney is to represent the City-County and related agencies in civil litigation matters in state and federal court. The City-County is involved in a diverse array of litigation matters, including federal civil rights suits, tort claims, contract disputes, prisoner litigation, appeals at the state and federal level, and administrative and regulatory matters.

Responsibilities

• Represent the City-County and related agencies in civil litigation matters in state and federal court.
• Prepare complaints, answers, and other pleadings.
• Research and file motions and briefs.
• Handle discovery and depositions.
• Participate in judicial hearings.
• Negotiate settlements.
• Advise client agencies with regard to litigation strategy and settlement negotiations.
• Keep clients, including senior agency staff and elected officials, fully informed on litigation matters affecting their agencies.
• Advising clients and colleagues in the Office of Corporation Counsel on compliance with law and the avoidance of future litigation risk.
• Prepares advisory opinions and memos on issues related to litigation or future litigation risk, at the request of the Corporation Counsel or client agencies.
• Represent City-County agencies in administrative hearings or similar settings.
• Oversee the work of more junior attorneys with whom the senior attorney is working, including review and guidance on legal writing.
• Oversee the support work of the litigation staff team, including paralegals, investigators, and office assistants.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Chief Litigation Counsel or the Corporation Counsel.

Qualifications

• Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Valid license to practice law in Indiana.
• Must be admitted to practice in the Southern District of Indiana.
• Proficiency in legal research tools, including Westlaw, and familiarity with electronic filing and records management systems.
• At least five years’ experience in the practice of law as a licensed attorney (may include a judicial clerkship), OR at least two years’ experience as a litigation attorney with the Office of Corporation Counsel.
• Subject-matter expertise or significant work experience in one or more areas of litigation practice: appeals, federal civil rights defense, tort claims, tax litigation, or contract litigation.