Assistant City Attorney

City of Richmond; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Richmond seeks an Assistant City Attorney in the civil litigation division to assist the Police Department and handle cases in federal and state trial and appellate courts. Virginia Bar admission is required, with duties including counseling City officials and employees, reviewing legal matters, and developing work methods under general supervision.

Strong legal analysis, written and verbal skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor degree.
• Four years of legal, policy or legislative experience in criminal, employment, labor, civil and/or administrative law.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills are required.

Responsibilities

• Provide counsel to police department leadership, officers and staff.
• Interpret, write, and review department policies; provide legal updates and training.
• Advise on responses to subpoenas duces tecum, FOIA requests, and other information requests.
• Process U-Visa requests as needed.
• Draft Memoranda of Understanding and other legal memoranda.
• Represent City interests in collective bargaining negotiations and related hearings.

Skills

Legal analysis

Written communication

Verbal communication

Policy implementation

Interdepartmental coordination

Education

Juris Doctor degree

Job description

The City of Richmond seeks an Assistant City Attorney in the civil litigation division primarily to assist the City’s police department and to handle cases in federal and state trial and appellate courts. The position will undertake other assignments as needed. The successful candidate must be a member of the Virginia State Bar. This position is responsible for protecting the legal interests of the City of Richmond and providing legal services and representation and advice to City officials, employees and departments. The position is responsible for reviewing legal matters, providing appropriate counsel and initiating or responding to legal actions. The class works within a general outline of work to be performed and develops work methods and sequences under general supervision.

The successful candidate must have demonstrated the ability to apply legal analysis in the solution of technical, administrative, and legal problems. The successful candidate must also have strong written and verbal skills. Prior trial experience is preferred although not required.

This position is Unclassified and serves at the will of the City Attorney. Applications submitted without attaching or mailing all requested items are considered incomplete. EEO/AA.

• Responsible for providing appropriate counsel to police department leadership, officers and professional staff.
• Responsible for interpreting, writing, and reviewing department policies; and providing legal updates and training.
• Responsible for advising on appropriate responses to subpoenas duces tecum, Freedom of Information (FOIA) requests, and other requests for information.
• Responsible for processing U-Visa requests.
• Responsible for drafting Memoranda of Understanding along with other legal memorandums.
• Responsible for representing and advocating for the City’s interests during collective bargaining negotiations, including preparing proposals, evaluating union proposals, and negotiating contract language.
• Responsible for representing the police department in arbitration and grievance hearings arising from collective bargaining agreement contract disputes, prohibited practice charges and employee discipline.
• Working within a general outline of work to be performed and developing work methods and sequences under general supervision.
• The position will undertake other assignments as needed.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Considerable knowledge of the laws and legal procedures related to the following practice areas: criminal law, criminal procedure, employment and labor law, contracts, and administrative law.

• Demonstrated skills communicating and coordinating with various internal and external departments, creating and implementing policies and procedures, interpreting and applying federal regulations for programs, and advising and directing outcomes.

MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

• Juris Doctor degree
• Four years of legal, policy or legislative experience in the areas of criminal, employment, labor, civil and/or administrative law.

LICENSING, CERTIFICATIONS, and OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Admission to the Virginia Bar
• Licensed to practice law in Virginia
• Independent admission to the bars of individual courts as necessary (e.g., United States District Court, United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, etc.)
• Twelve hours of continuing legal education annually
• Compliance with additional requirements that may be established by the City of Richmond
• An equivalent combination of training and experience (as approved by the department) may be used to meet the minimum qualifications of the classification