Senior Assistant City Attorney - Litigation

City and County of Denver; Denver, Northern (CO, KY); Hybrid; USD 135,000 - 172,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Guaranteed pension

457B retirement plan

PTO + holidays

Medical/dental/vision

Hybrid work model

Wellness day

Volunteer day

Job summary

City and County of Denver seeks a Senior Assistant City Attorney - Litigation to defend employees and agencies in civil rights and personal injury cases in Colorado state and federal courts. The role requires leading counsel on complex matters and frequent trials.

The position offers a highly competitive salary ($134,933–$172,000 annually) with a hybrid Colorado work arrangement and a comprehensive benefits package, including a lifetime pension after vesting, retirement plan, PTO, holidays, and

Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate or Bachelor of Laws required.
• Colorado bar license by hire date or with reasonable expectation to obtain.
• Minimum three (3) years of attorney at law experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead counsel on civil rights and personal injury lawsuits in state and federal courts.
• Defend employees and city agencies, including officers, in litigation.
• Go to trial several times a year and manage cases from filing through appeal.
• Mentor and develop less-experienced attorneys in the Civil Litigation Section.
• Collaborate with City departments and agencies to advance municipal goals.

Skills

Litigation

Trial experience

Public entities

eDiscovery

Multi-tasking

Education

JD or LLB

Tools

eDiscovery tools

Job description

## Senior Assistant City Attorney - LitigationApply: Downtown Denver: Full time: Posted Today: End Date: October 5, 2026 (12 days left to apply): R0082758# 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 $134,933 - $172,000/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. ## 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. The team is seeking an experienced litigator to defend employees and agencies of the City & County of Denver in civil litigation brought in Colorado state and federal courts. This is a purely litigation position. You will serve as lead counsel defending civil rights and personal injury lawsuits brought against Denver and its employees. You should expect to go to trial several times a year. You will defend cases from filing through appeal. This position presents a challenging and rewarding opportunity for a senior-level attorney with substantial litigation experience, who thrives in a fast-paced, constantly changing work environment, embraces challenges and enjoys having the opportunity to create new law. Senior attorneys are responsible for serving as lead counsel on some of the City’s most complex litigation and mentoring attorneys with less experience. Job responsibilities for a Senior Litigator in the Civil Litigation Section include: Quality Legal Work: * Readily identifies issues and finds creative solutions for areas of improvement while working collaboratively with the Section Director and Assistant Directors, other sections of the City Attorney’s Office, and various city departments and agencies.* Conducts appropriate legal research and produces concise, coherent, comprehensive, and well-reasoned work with an emphasis on attention to detail.* Willingness and experience sufficient to assume the lead counsel role on a variety of lawsuits, including high-profile, complex civil rights lawsuits.* Provides excellent client service, including representing departments and agencies, officers, and employees in lawsuits in Colorado state and federal courts.* Coaches and mentors attorneys with less experience in litigation, research, and related activities.* Provides guidance and legal opinions to various departments and agencies concerning issues identified in litigation. Leadership and Collaboration: * Supports and implements the vision of the Section and the City Attorney’s Office as a whole, includes facilitating and promoting integration of diversity, equality, and inclusiveness strategies into work and the work environment.* Ensures appropriate collaboration with Section leadership to achieve section, agency, or Mayoral priorities.* Open to new organizational structures, procedures, technology, and overall change.* Promotes teamwork and encourages regular communication between team members, Section leadership, and clients. ## What You’ll Bring We are looking for an 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 lawsuits. Someone who wants to try cases and is passionate about improving their trial skills will likely find this position rewarding. A successful candidate will be ready to take on the challenging task of trying cases in Colorado on behalf of law enforcement, not afraid to take risks, and undeterred by negative media attention. 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. Preferred candidates will have: * At least seven (7) years of litigation experience* Experience handling litigation involving public entities* Experience in civil rights law and/or tort litigation* Experience with large document production projects and eDiscovery compliance* Ability to multi-task, prioritize, and work effectively in a fast-paced, high-profile environment ***Preferred experience must be demonstrated on the application in addition to resume and cover letter. Applications submitted without a resume and cover letter may not be considered. Your cover letter should address the extent of your litigation experience, why you are interested in the position, and why you are the right person for the position.*** ## Required Minimum Qualifications * Education requirement: Doctor of Jurisprudence degree or Bachelor of Laws degree.* Experience Requirement: Three (3) years of experience as an attorney at law.* Education/Experience Equivalency: No substitution of experience for education is permitted.* License/Certifications: Possession of a license to practice law in Colorado from the Colorado Supreme Court by the date of hire or a reasonable expectation of becoming licensed by the Colorado Supreme Court by the date of hire in accordance with C.R.C.P. 203.2, 203.3, 203.4 and 205.6. Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment. ## Application Deadline This posting will accept applications until 11:59 PM on Sunday, October 4, 2026. Please submit your application as soon as possible to ensure consideration.