Assistant Corporation Counsel III - Employment Litigation Division

City of Chicago Department of Law; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 88,000 - 154,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Chicago Department of Law seeks an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the Employment Litigation Division to defend the City and public officials in discrimination and other civil rights and employment matters in federal and state court.

The ACC will manage a caseload, try trials, draft pleadings and briefs, conduct discovery, and negotiate settlements under the Deputy Corporation Counsel's supervision.

Qualifications

• Experience in federal or state court litigation with motions, depositions, and discovery.
• Negotiation and settlement experience in relevant practice areas.
• Excellent research and writing abilities.
• Ability to work well with others and show leadership on tasks.
• Organize and manage deadlines with a strong academic record.
• Graduation from an ABA-accredited law school with a JD.
• Admission to the Illinois Bar (or eligible on motion) in good standing.

Responsibilities

• Maintain an individual case load, try cases, draft pleadings and briefs.
• Conduct discovery and negotiate settlements on behalf of clients.
• Work under supervision of Deputy Corporation Counsel, Employment Litigation Division.
• Represent the City in federal and state court proceedings.

Skills

Litigation experience

Negotiation & settlement

Research skills

Superior writing

Team collaboration

Leadership & initiative

Deadline management

Academic excellence

ABA-accredited JD

Illinois Bar admission

Education

Juris Doctor (ABA-accredited)

Job description

The City of Chicago Law Department is seeking an attorney for the position of Assistant Corporation Counsel (ACC) in its Employment Litigation Division.

The Employment Litigation Division defends the City of Chicago and public officials against allegations of discrimination as well as other civil rights and employment law violations brought by prospective, current, and former employees. Division ACCs practice in federal court as well as in state court. The Division handles sophisticated and complex litigation matters (including class actions) that involve extensive motion practice, intensive discovery, settlement negotiations, and trials.

The Assistant Corporation Counsel will work under the general supervision of the Deputy Corporation Counsel of the Employment Litigation Division and will be responsible for maintaining his or her own case load; trying cases, drafting pleadings, drafting briefs, conducting discovery, and negotiating settlements.

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

• Litigation experience in federal or state court litigation, in one or more of the following areas: drafting motions for summary judgment, taking and defending depositions, and engaging in ESI discovery;
• experience in relevant practice areas including negotiation and settlement experience;
• exceptional research skills;
• superior writing skills;
• the ability to work well with others;
• demonstrated history of exhibiting leadership and initiative on assigned tasks;
• the ability to organize, prioritize, monitor, and control workflow deadlines; and
• demonstrated record of academic excellence.
• Graduation from an American Bar Association accredited law school with a Juris Doctor degree
• Admission to the Illinois Bar (or eligible for admission on motion to the Illinois Bar pursuant to Illinois Supreme Court Rule 705), 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: $88,272 - 154,044 (salary is based on a variety of factors including experience and credentials)

Click to view our generous benefits package

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

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.

NOTE:

To be considered for this position you must provide information about your educational background and your work experience. You must include job titles, dates of employment, and specific job duties. (If you are a current City employee, Acting Up cannot be considered.) If you fail to provide this information at the time you submit your application, it will be incomplete, and you will not be considered for this position. There are three ways to provide the information: 1) you may attach a resume; 2) you may paste a resume; or 3) you can complete the online resume fields.

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

Aug 5, 2026, 9:02:09 AM

BU

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