Deputy City Attorney
City of Lakewood, Washington
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
City of Lakewood, Washington seeks a seasoned City Attorney to plan, direct, and coordinate comprehensive legal services for the City. You will advise the City Council, staff, and commissions, supervise legal staff, and represent the City in court at various levels.
You will draft and interpret ordinances, resolutions, contracts, and policies to protect the City's interests. The role includes serving as Acting City Attorney when required, with responsibilities spanning policy guidance,
Qualifications
- Juris Doctor degree or equivalent with admission to practice law in Washington.
- Five years of comprehensive legal experience including management and administrative duties.
- Experience in land use, government law, or related public sector practice preferred.
Responsibilities
- Attend City Council sessions and meetings; provide legal advice to guide policies and actions.
- Supervise and evaluate assigned legal staff and coordinate interdepartmental collaboration.
- Draft and review ordinances, resolutions, contracts, and real estate documents.
- Represent the City in civil litigation and at administrative hearings.
- Stay abreast of legal updates and provide training as needed.
Skills
Education
Job description
Under the direction of the City Attorney, plan, direct, and coordinate comprehensive legal services for the City; provide counsel to the City Council, staff, committees, and commissions; may hire, train, assign, supervise, discipline, and evaluate the work of assigned professional and support legal staff; provide legal advice to guide City policies, decisions, and activities; represent the City and supervise and direct representation of the City at various court levels and tribunals in criminal and civil litigation, as well as in administrative hearings; draft and interpret City ordinances, resolutions, policies, and contracts. Serve as Acting City Attorney as required.
Attendance: Maintain regular, reliable, and punctual attendance.
General Counsel: Participate in the City's short and long range planning to assure proper consideration of legal issues; identify optional positions for the City on legal matters; negotiate large real property acquisitions. Attend regular and special City Council sessions as needed; participate in meetings and conferences with other City boards, commissions, committees, administrative officers, and staff personnel; provide legal advice as required. Attend and participate in county, regional, and state‑wide legal task forces, committees, associations, and organizations.
Intradepartmental Management: Coordinate seamless and efficient collaboration between City departments.
Legal Documents: Direct or participate in the drafting and review of letters, ordinances, contracts, resolutions, policies, real estate documents, and other legal documents enacted by the City to assure proper wording, limit the City's liability, assure the City's intent is carried out, compliance with applicable laws is adhered, and protect the City's interest; draft opinion letters as required or requested.
Legal Updates and Training: Track legal and policy issues of importance to the City; review legal journals and utilize networks to establish contacts and sources of information relevant to the City; review proposed and enacted state and federal legislation for impact upon the City; recommend appropriate responses where necessary to protect the City's legal interests; analyze legal trends and developments impacting the City; and recommend appropriate City responses of actions. Monitor recommendations from the City's insurance pool and provide internal training as necessary.
Litigation Management: Assure effective representation of the City in litigation, ranging from coordinating insurance defense representing the City in Superior Court in civil and appellate matters. Similarly manage routine administrative hearings and litigation such as Abatement Hearings, Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO), Code Enforcement and matters coming before the Hearing Examiner. Serve as counsel to assigned departments and as primary counsel to the Planning and Public Works Department.
Policies, Codes, and Ordinances: Participate in decisions related to general City policies and operations; provide legal advice to guide City policies, decisions, and activities; draft and interpret City ordinances and resolutions to include code enforcement, land use, community development; and public works; collaborate with other departments to develop and refine provisions of the Uniform Building Code and related codes; provide advice, counsel, and representation to protect the City's interests.
Safety: Actively champion a culture of and commitment to workplace safety through everyday actions and leadership.
Staff Supervision: May hire, train, assign, supervise, discipline, and evaluate the work of professional and support legal staff; distribute work to assure proper and efficient work flow; Review documents prepared by legal staff to assure proper legal principles and procedures are followed and to assure that legal advice to City clients is accurate, responsive, and sensitive to political and policy considerations.
Other Duties: Perform other duties as assigned.
A law degree with admission to practice law in the State of Washington and five (5) years comprehensive legal experience, including increasingly responsible legal management and administrative duties. Supervisory experience preferred.
Land use and planning, as well as governmental law experience preferred.
Public Records Act compliance preferred.
Admission to Washington State Bar Association at time of hire and throughout employment in this position.
A valid Washington State driver’s license with a driving record that meets an acceptable standard for safety at the point of hire and throughout employment in this position.
Principles and practices of administration, supervision, and training.
Theory, structure, and practice of municipal law, particularly as it applies to the Council‑Manager form of government.
Civil and criminal litigation and appellate techniques.
Code enforcement, land use, community development, and public works codes and ordinances.
Public Records Management and Disclosure.
Research methods and report writing techniques.
City organization, operations, policies, and objectives.
Complex legal record keeping techniques and requirements.
Effective public speaking techniques.
Modern office practices, procedures, and equipment.
Correct English usage, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary.
Interpersonal skills using tact, patience, and courtesy.
Plan, direct, and coordinate comprehensive legal services for the City.
Provide sound and effective counsel to the City Manager, Council, staff, committees, and commissions.
Hire, train, assign, supervise, and evaluate the work of assigned professional and support legal staff.
Provide sound and effective legal advice to guide City policies, decisions, and activities.
Represent the City at various court levels and tribunals in civil litigation.
Draft and interpret City ordinances and resolutions.
Prepare and review complex legal documents and instruments.
Negotiate real property acquisitions.
Practice law, identifying legal opportunities to accomplish the City's objectives.
Communicate complex legal issues verbally and in writing to a variety of audiences in a clear, comprehensive, effective, and professional manner.
Read, interpret, explain, and apply legal and technical language.
Negotiate and administer contracts with outside vendors and service providers.
Resolve conflicts and gain cooperation among conflicting groups.
Design and execute effective trial and appellate strategies in complex cases.
Develop and maintain productive relationships with elected officials, business leaders, advisory boards, the news media, and the general public. Understand the City's political environment and sensitivities.
Listen effectively to verbal communication.
Works primarily indoors in a climate-controlled office environment with low noise levels.
Constant use of sight, hearing, and speech abilities necessary to perform essential functions and communicate with others. Frequent fine finger manipulation and use of hands and arms in reaching/handling/fingering/grasping while operating office equipment and computers, preparing written documentation, handling paperwork, etc. Frequent sitting, may be extended at times, while doing desk activities. Frequent bending/twisting at waist/knees/neck while working at desk, worktable, or moving from sitting to standing position. Frequent standing in combination with walking (short distances) throughout work shift in office areas. Occasional pushing/pulling force up to 10 pounds opening doors, drawers, and moving materials. Requires mental acuity to ensure thorough mental analysis of situations in a fast-paced environment. Ability to operate a motor vehicle for transportation to off-site meetings and events.
Contact with dissatisfied or abusive or potentially dangerous individuals. Driving a vehicle during adverse weather conditions.
The City of Lakewood is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer that encourages, supports, and celebrates respect, empowerment, diversity, and inclusion for all. We welcome your contributions!
REGULAR STATUS, GENERAL FULL‑TIME EMPLOYEES
This is a summary of benefits and is not meant to be all inclusive. Please refer to City policies and plan booklets for details.
The normal work week is five consecutive days of not more than eight hours per day, exclusive of lunch period. City Hall is open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Where appropriate, alternative work schedules may be established, providing that not more than forty hours are scheduled per work week.
Upon successful completion of an annual performance evaluation and annually thereafter, an employee may receive a salary increase based on merit or performance. However, no employee may exceed the maximum of their salary range.
New Year's Day
M.L. King Jr. Day
Presidents' Day
Memorial Day
Juneteenth
Independence Day
Labor Day
Veterans' Day
Thanksgiving
the day after Thanksgiving
Christmas day
Employees accrue one floating holiday on their anniversary date, which must be used within the following 12 month period. Holiday pay is pro-rated for employees scheduled to work less than 40 hours per week.
Combination leave is a benefit granted to employees to continue normal compensation during approved absences. Combination leave may be used after 60 days of employment. Leave can be accrued without limit during the calendar year, however the maximum accrual amount that can be carried forward from one calendar year to the next shall not exceed two times the amount of the employee's current accrual rate.
During the 1st year 120 hours of leave per year
After the 1st thru 2nd year 128 hours of leave per year
After the 2nd thru 4th year 136 hours of leave per year
After the 4th thru 9th year 152 hours of leave per year
After the 9th thru 14th year 184 hours of leave per year
After the 14th thru 20th year 216 hours of leave per year
After the 20th thru 29th year 232 hours of leave per year
After the 29th year 240 hours of leave per year
Combination leave accrual is pro-rated for employees scheduled to work less than 40 hours per week.
Medical leave is a benefit granted to employees to continue normal compensation during absences caused by illness, injury, etc. Medical leave is accrued at 64 hours per year (pro-rated for employees working less than 40 hours per week). It is available for use after 90 days of employment.
If an employee exhausts all paid leave, they may be eligible to receive donated combination leave to cover an absence caused by illness or injury.
Employees who are members of any federal military reserve unit or the Washington National Guard will receive up to twenty‑one working days of paid leave during each year beginning October 1 and ending September 30, while engaged in active training duty or active duty. Employees work will maintain continuity of health benefits to employees' families when employees are ordered to involuntary active military duty. Military differential pay is available during active military duty of more than 30 days and for no longer than 24 months.
Employees will be paid their regular compensation while serving on jury duty provided they forfeit the juror's daily stipend to the City.
Employees and the City make contributions to the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) Plan 2 or Plan 3 (with exception to the Assistant Police Chief and Police Chief Position which contribute to LEOFF). Under Social Security's Government Pension Offset, any Social Security spouse's or widow's or widower's benefits you may be entitled to will be reduced based on any pension you receive from the City's retirement plan.
In lieu of Social Security, the City provides an alternative plan through the ICMA Retirement Corporation. The employee contributes 6.20% and the City contributes 4.77% of the employee's salary. The employee's investment choices range from conservative (low risk) to aggressive (high risk) opportunities. Employees are immediately 100% vested in the plan. Under Social Security's Windfall Elimination Provision, any Social Security retirement or disability benefits you may be entitled to will be reduced based on any pension you receive from this replacement plan.
Participation in a 457 deferred compensation plan is available to employees through payroll deduction. This is an optional investment program offered through the ICMA Retirement Corporation or Washington Department of Retirement Systems. The City matches an employee's contribution up to 3% of the employee's base monthly pay rate.
The Flexible Spending Account (IRS Section 125) is an optional tax savings program which is offered to employees annually. It allows employees to reduce taxable income by using part of their salary on a pretax basis to pay for out of pocket health care expenses and dependent care costs.
The effective date of health insurance is the first day of the month following hire.
Three medical plans are offered to employees and dependents through the Association of Washington Cities (AWC): the Regence High Deductible Health Plan (with a health savings account), the Regence HealthFirst Plan ($250 deductible), and the Kaiser Permanente Plan ($200 deductible). Premiums for employees and dependents are pro-rated for employees scheduled to work less than 40 hours per week. Employees may be eligible to opt out of medical insurance coverage to receive a $3,000 annualized contribution (pro‑rated for part‑time employees) to their deferred compensation account, flexible spending account (IRS Section 125), and/or pay.
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a voluntary, confidential resource available to employees, dependents and household members. The EAP provides professional counseling assistance in addressing a variety of concerns ranging from substance abuse to relationship issues. The premiums are paid by the City.
A separate vision plan provides for annual eye examinations for employees and dependents. A $25 deductible benefit is also provided for lenses, frames and contact lenses.
Washington Dental Service (WDS) Plan E insurance is provided through AWC. This is an incentive based plan - 70% to 100% of the cost for Class I and Class II benefits (routine exams, basic cleanings, x-rays, fillings, etc.) is covered. Class III benefits (crowns, inlays and onlays) are paid at 50%. The plan pays a maximum of $2,000 per individual annually for covered benefits per incentive period (a calendar year). A separate orthodontia plan provides a one time orthodontia benefit of $1,000 for eligible children.
- The City pays the entire premium cost for full‑time employees and their dependents. Premiums for part‑time employees and their dependents are pro‑rated based on the employee's FTE status.
The City provides the following insurance coverage for employees through Standard Insurance (a copy of each plan certificate will be provided during orientation). The insurance is effective the first of the month following hire, unless an employee is hired on the first day of the month, in which case the coverage is effective immediately.
A monthly survivor income benefit is paid to an employee's eligible spouse and children upon the employee's death. Prior to any reduction for Social Security survivor's benefits, a benefit amount equal to 30% of the employee's insured earnings is paid to the spouse or children, and 60% is paid if both spouse and children survive.
A benefit equal to the employee's annual salary rounded up to the next thousand to a maximum of $170,000.
Effective after 90 days of continuous disability. The maximum amount of the LTD benefit is 60% of earnings or $5,000 per month, whichever is less.
Employees may elect to apply for $30,000 to $300,000 in supplemental term life insurance coverage. Spouses may also be insured. Premiums are paid entirely by the employee.
Additional insurance plans are available to employees through AFLAC, such as accident/disability, cancer, STD, dental and hospital intensive care.
01
Describe your experience balancing litigation responsibilities with transactional and advisory work for a municipality or public agency. How do you prioritize competing demands while ensuring timely and effective legal support?
02
This position requires managing a fast‑paced litigation caseload, including administrative hearings and related proceedings. Please describe your experience handling multiple matters simultaneously, meeting court or hearing deadlines, and adapting to shifting priorities.
03
This role requires strong collaboration with administrative staff, department personnel, and legal colleagues. Please describe your approach to building positive working relationships, supporting staff development, and fostering a professional and cooperative work environment.
04
Are you licensed to practice law in Washington State?
- Yes
- No
05
A complete application requires the submission of both a Resume and a Cover Letter. Please select "Yes" to acknowledge that you understand and agree to this requirement.
- Yes
- No
- Required Question
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