Deputy City Attorney

City of Coconut Creek; Florida; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Coconut Creek seeks a seasoned City Attorney to provide legal counsel to the City Commission, City Manager, staff, and advisory boards. You will attend meetings, review contracts, draft opinions, and guide complex legal strategy.

Requirements include a Juris Doctor, Florida license, and 10+ years in city or local government law; board certification preferred. The role requires independence, strong judgment, and leadership within the office.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of legal research using Westlaw and LexisNexis.
• Experience with Florida law and local government statutes.
• Strong research and analytical skills; ability to draft clear opinions.

Responsibilities

• Advise City Commission, City Manager, staff, and boards on legal matters.
• Attend meetings and advisory board sessions as needed.
• Review contracts and prepare legal opinions, ordinances, and resolutions.
• Represent city departments in legal matters and assist in litigation as needed.

Job description

GENERAL PURPOSE:

Performs work as a recognized subject matter expert in the City Attorney’s office. Provides legal advice and counsel to the City Commission, City Manager, City Staff, and City Advisory Boards. The employee attends meetings of the City Commission and advisory boards, as necessary, represents the City before various local and state departments and other governmental subdivisions, reviews and/or prepares routine legal documents and legal opinions, as well as assists the City Attorney in more difficult and complex questions and problems. Supervision is exercised over legal and clerical staff, which includes training and evaluating work performance. General direction is received from the City Attorney however; significant latitude is provided requiring the use of initiative and independent judgment. Position requires a high level of critical thinking and ingenuity in bringing successful resolution to unusually complex and strategic situations and issues.

The list of essential functions, as outlined herein, is intended to be representative of the tasks performed within this classification. It is not necessarily descriptive of any one position in the classification. The omission of an essential function does not preclude management from assigning duties not listed herein if such functions are a logical assignment to the position.

• Advises the City Commission, City Manager, City staff, and City boards as may be required, relative to legal matters affecting the City
• Attends City Commission meetings and workshops, Planning and Zoning Board meetings and other Advisory Board meetings as needed
• Conducts investigations and interviews based upon alleged or potential legal problems of a routine nature, and prepares reports or opinions based upon findings made
• Reviews contracts
• Prepares legal opinions, drafts ordinances, resolutions, contracts, deeds, leases, and other legal documents
• Represents various departments in legal matters as directed by the City Attorney
• Responds to and resolves sensitive and complex inquiries and complaints including: responding to requests of the City Attorney, City Manager, and elected officials for information and interpretation
• May present issues to the City Commission as needed or directed by the City Attorney
• Assists City Attorney in the preparation of legal opinions regarding more complex legal questions
• Assists in the preparation and defense of all civil cases involving the City including preparation of initial pleadings, discovery documents, motions and other litigation documents as needed; reviews claims and complaints by or against the City; works with other legal specialists hired by the City for special and/or complex cases
• Assists the City Attorney in conducting legal research concerning complex problems or projects and prepares reports, memoranda and draft opinions containing proposed or recommended courses of action or solutions; handles appeals as needed
• Assists the City Attorney in providing guidance to and reviewing the work of other attorneys retained by the City; enforces and makes recommendations regarding city policies and procedures
• Meets with City officials, City employees, and the public as needed
• Performs other related duties and functions as may be assigned by the City Attorney

Juris doctor degree from an accredited school of law; supplemented by ten (10) or more years’ experience practicing in the area of City, County, and Local Government law or related field. Related field includes: land use/zoning, labor and employment, real estate, litigation/ trial experience, eminent domain, procurement/public finance, grants, contract drafting and administration, public records/ Sunshine law, civil litigation relating to Section 1983 liability, workers’ compensation, personal injury law, construction law, police, fire, or other local government related experience. Board certification in City, County, and Local Government law is preferred, but not required. Must be an attorney at law in good standing in Florida and possess a license to practice law in the state of Florida.

* The City reserves the right to consider alternate combinations of education, certification, training, and/or experience

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of the principles, methods, materials, and practices of legal research (Westlaw and Lexus/Nexus)
• Knowledge of the laws of Florida and considerable knowledge of local, state and Federal statutory law
• Skill in conducting research on complex legal issues and preparing sound legal opinions – and considerable knowledge of the sources and availability of current legal decisions, opinions, rulings and statutes
• Considerable knowledge of legal instruments in applicable fields of law
• Skill in Microsoft Office products (Word, Outlook, and Excel)
• Skill in providing good customer service
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Ability to interpret and apply legal principles and precedents in resolving complex legal problems
• Ability to multi-task while working with tight deadlines and shifting priorities
• Ability to prepare cases for civil litigation
• Ability to analyze and define problems, identify alternative solutions, estimate consequences of proposed actions, and implement recommendations in support of goals
• Ability to organize work for timely completion
• Ability to conduct thorough legal research and prepare various legal documents and summaries
• Ability to express ideas clearly and to communicate effectively, orally and in writing
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, City officials, representatives of private businesses, service and civic organizations, and the public
• Ability to assign and supervise work of subordinates in a manner conducive to full performance and high morale
• Ability to regularly attend work and arrive punctually for designated work schedule
• Understand the opportunities and risks of using artificial intelligence in the legal field

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Depending on functional area of assignment, tasks involve the ability to exert light physical effort in sedentary to light work, which may involve some lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling of objects and materials of light weight (up to 20 pounds). Tasks may involve extended periods of time at a keyboard or work station.

ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS:

Tasks are regularly performed inside and/or outside with potential for exposure to adverse conditions, such as dirt, dust, pollen, odors, fumes and/or poor ventilation, wetness, humidity, rain, temperature, and noise extremes, machinery and/or moving vehicles, vibrations, electric currents, animals/wildlife, toxic/poisonous agents, gases or chemicals, oils and other cutting fluids, violence and/or disease, or pathogenic substances.

SENSORY REQUIREMENTS:

Some tasks require manual dexterity, in addition to visual and hearing acuity.