Associate Assistant City Attorney - Civil Litigation Section

denver; Denver (CO); Hybrid; USD 109,000 - 127,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension plan

457(b) Retirement Plan

PTO + holidays

Medical, dental and vision plans

Job summary

The City and County of Denver is seeking an Associate Attorney in the Civil Litigation Section to provide legal counsel to City officials and defend civil lawsuits. This role handles tort and civil rights cases, drafts pleadings, conducts research, and collaborates with a large team of attorneys and staff.

We offer a hybrid work model in Colorado with a competitive salary and excellent benefits, including a pension, 457(b) plan, PTO, holidays, and comprehensive health coverage.

Qualifications

• Experienced attorney with public service mindset.
• Ability to manage multiple lawsuits concurrently.
• Strong written and oral advocacy.
• Ethical and fair with sound judgment.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal counsel to City officials and employees.
• Represent in civil lawsuits at trial and appellate courts.
• Handle less complex tort and civil rights cases under supervision.
• Draft memoranda, pleadings, motions, and briefs.
• Conduct legal research and present clear arguments.
• Assist senior attorneys on complex litigation, including depositions.
• Assist with appellate briefs and city policies.
• Support diversity and client service initiatives.

Skills

Legal research

Drafting pleadings

Litigation management

Client advocacy

Trial practice

Team collaboration

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Job description

About Our Job

With competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose - for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills and expertise. Join our diverse, inclusive and talented workforce of more than 11,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver.

What We Offer

The City and County of Denver offers a competitive salary commensurate with education and experience. The salary range for this position is $109,134 - $126,869/annually, based on experience and education. We also offer generous benefits for full-time employees which include but are not limited to:

• A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service
• 457B Retirement Plan
• 140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 12 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday, 1 wellness day and 1 volunteer day per year
• Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date

Location

The City and County of Denver supports a hybrid workplace model. Employees work where needed, at a job site several days a week and off-site as needed. Employees must work within the state of Colorado on their off-site days. During your onsite days you will work at the Wellington E. Webb Municipal Office Building located at 201 W Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80202. Office hours are 8:00AM - 5:00PM.

What You'll Do

The Denver City Attorney's Office is one of the largest law firms in Colorado, with over 230 attorneys and staff members comprised of paralegals, victim advocates, and other support and supervisory staff members. It may have the most diverse practice of any law firm in Colorado since Denver is a home rule city and county. Clients include the Mayor, City Council, all other elected and appointed officials, all city agencies, departments, boards, commissions, and employees.

The City Attorney's Office is dedicated to providing an equitable, inclusive, and diverse work environment. Through Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts, we strive to respect and honor differences, create a culture of compassion, collaboration, and common purpose for sharing our talents, skills, and creativity with each other. We are committed to removing barriers and providing opportunities. The successful candidate for this position must demonstrate these core operating principles.

Denver's City Attorney's Office is seeking an Associate Assistant City Attorney for the Civil Litigation Section of the Department of Law. An Associate Assistant City Attorney provides legal counsel to City officials and employees, and representation in the defense of civil lawsuits before trial and appellate courts.

The Civil Litigation Section handles personal injury and property damage claims, as well as civil rights and constitutional claims brought against agencies, employees and officials of the City and County of Denver. The attorneys in this unit regularly appear in state and federal trial and appellate courts.

Specifically, as an Associate Attorney in the Civil Litigation Section, you will:

• Handle less complex tort and civil rights cases, depending upon level of experience, under supervisor direction
• Draft and prepare legal memoranda, pleadings, motions, and briefs to be filed in judicial or quasi-judicial proceedings
• Conduct legal research in a variety of legal areas and produce concise, coherent, comprehensive and well-reasoned arguments
• Assist senior attorneys on more complex litigation as part of a collaborative team defending the City and/or City employees, including conducting depositions, handling various court appearances, drafting motions, determining appropriate trial strategy, providing case assessment, and evaluating reasonable settlement value
• Evaluate cases for appellate issues and assist with the drafting of appellate briefs
• Assist with drafting and review of City policies and procedures
• Readily identify issues and find creative solutions for areas of improvement
• Providing excellent client service
• Support and implement the vision of the Section and the City Attorney's Office as a whole, including facilitating and promoting integration of diversity, equality, and inclusiveness strategies into work and the work environment
• Perform other related duties as assigned or requested

What You'll Bring

We are looking for an experienced attorney who is a self-starter, team-player, and passionate about working in public service. We seek someone who strives to achieve operational excellence in defending against claims and lawsuits. The right candidate must be outcome- and results-oriented, ethical and fair, have good common sense, sound judgment, and be capable of working on multiple and varied lawsuits or other assigned matters at the same time. We are looking for someone interested in all aspects of litigation, including brief writing and trial practice. A successful candidate will be a strong advocate for their clients and will understand how