Assistant Corporation Counsel I - Legal Information and Prosecutions Division

City of Chicago; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 78,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Chicago Law Department seeks an Assistant Corporation Counsel I in the Legal Information and Prosecutions Division. The ACC I will prosecute municipal code violations in Cook County, defend administrative decisions in circuit court, and represent the City in FOIA matters, e-discovery, and Local Records Act matters.

Under supervision, the ACC I will try cases, conduct hearings, draft motions and briefs, litigate administrative appeals, engage in settlements, and coordinate with client

Qualifications

• Graduation from an American Bar Association accredited law school with a Juris Doctor degree and admission to the Illinois Bar.
• Good standing with the Illinois ARDC.
• Superior writing, research, and editing skills.
• Superior written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience counseling and advising clients.
• Some administrative proceedings or Circuit Court courtroom experience.
• Ability to work well with others, exercise sound judgment, and show initiative.
• Ability to organize, prioritize, and manage workflow deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Prosecute Chicago Municipal Code violations in Cook County Circuit Court, Traffic Court, Branch Courts, and at the City’s Department of Administrative Hearings.
• Defend administrative decisions from the Department of Administrative Hearings in Circuit Court.
• Represent the City in FOIA matters, e-discovery, and Local Records Act matters.

Skills

Prosecution experience

Legal research

Legal writing

Oral advocacy

Client counseling

Courtroom experience

Judgment and initiative

Organization and deadlines

Education

Juris Doctor degree (ABA-accredited)

Illinois Bar admission

Job description

The City of Chicago Law Department is seeking an attorney for the position of Assistant Corporation Counsel (“ACC”) I in the Legal Information and Prosecutions (“LIP”) Division.

The Assistant Corporation Counsel I in the Legal Information and Prosecutions Division will:

• Prosecute Chicago Municipal Code violations in Cook County Circuit Court, namely in Traffic Court and Branch Courts, and at the City’s Department of Administrative Hearings.
• Defend administrative decisions from the City’s Department of Administrative Hearings filed as an administrative appeal in Circuit Court.
• Represent the City in Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) matters, document production, electronic discovery (e-discovery), and Local Records Act (LRA) matters.

The ACC I will work under the general supervision of the Division’s Supervisors, Chief, and Deputy. Duties will include, but are not limited to, trying cases; conducting hearings; researching and writing motions, memoranda and briefs; litigating administrative appeals; arguing motions; engaging in settlement negotiations; working closely with client departments; reviewing and analyzing files in a variety of cases; and recommending appropriate courses of action.

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

Ideal candidates will possess:

• Superior writing, research, and editing skills;
• Superior communication skills (written/verbal);
• Experience in counseling and advising clients;
• Some administrative proceeding or Circuit Court courtroom experience;
• The ability to work well with others
• Demonstrated use of sound judgment;
• The ability to exhibit initiative on assigned tasks; and
• The ability to organize, prioritize, monitor, and control workflow deadlines.
• Graduation from an American Bar Association accredited law school with a Juris Doctor degree, admission to the Illinois Bar
• Good standing with your state Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission.

Disclaimer - "Accredited" means any American law school that has passed and maintains the requirements of accreditation by the American Bar Association (www.americanbar.org).

Salary: $78,108.00 – 130,128.00 (salary is based on a variety of factors including experience and credentials)

NOTE REGARDING PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS

Working for the City of Chicago Department of Law may qualify you for loan forgiveness under the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. For detailed information, visit www.StudentAid.gov/publicservice or contact your federal loan servicer.

Selection Requirements

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

Evaluation

Your initial evaluation will be based on the documents submitted. Applications must be submitted by the individual applicant. No second party applications will be accepted.

Education & Employment Verification

Please be advised that if you are selected to be hired, you must provide, upon request adequate information regarding your educational and employment history as it relates to the qualifications of the position for which you are applying. If the City of Chicago cannot verify this information, any offer extended to you will be withdrawn and you will not be hired.

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.

Residency Requirement

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

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 [e-mail]. Please be prepared to provide information in support of your reasonable accommodation request.

THIS POSITION IS EXEMPT FROM THE CAREER SERVICE.

ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ANY AND ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.

The City of Chicago is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Military Friendly Employer. 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.

City of Chicago

Brandon Johnson

Mayor

Job Posting

Sep 9, 2026, 12:03:36 PM

For Information on our employees benefits please visit our benefits website at: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fin/benefits-office.html

For Information on our salary and title structure visit our classifications website at: https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/dhr/supp_info/JobClassification/2025_Classification_and_Pay_Plan.pdf