Senior Level Attorney

City of Bloomington, IL; Bloomington (IL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Bloomington, IL is seeking senior-level attorneys to join the Legal Department as experienced counsel, providing strategic advice and representation to the City, departments, and elected officials. The roles may be tailored to strengths, including municipal, litigation, land use, and regulatory practice.

Ideal candidates will be adaptable, practical, and committed to public service, with the ability to deliver clear, legally sound guidance to decision-makers in a municipal environment.

Qualifications

• J.D. or equivalent degree from an accredited law school.
• Admission to Illinois bar.
• Substantial legal experience.
• Strong legal research, writing, advocacy, negotiation, and communication skills.
• Ability to independently analyze and resolve complex legal issues.
• Sound professional judgment, discretion, and ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and work with officials, executives, employees, attorneys, outside professionals, and the public.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal counsel, representation, and strategic advice to the City and its bodies.
• Handle a broad range of municipal and governmental matters in advisory and litigation contexts.
• Draft and review ordinances, resolutions, contracts, and related legal documents.
• Represent the City in hearings, negotiations, and administrative proceedings.
• Coordinate with departments and outside counsel on legal matters.
• Advise on labor, land use, real estate, municipal law, and regulatory issues.

Skills

Strong legal research

Strong writing

Advocacy

Negotiation

Communication skills

Issue analysis

Discretion & confidentiality

Education

J.D. or equivalent degree

Job description

The City is seeking experienced attorneys to join its Legal Department in senior-level positions providing legal counsel, representation, and strategic advice to the City, its departments, elected and appointed officials, boards, and commissions. These positions provide an opportunity to work on a broad range of legal matters that directly support City operations, public services, and the community.

The City is seeking experienced attorneys to join its Legal Department in senior-level positions providing legal counsel, representation, and strategic advice to the City, its departments, elected and appointed officials, boards, and commissions. These positions provide an opportunity to work on a broad range of legal matters that directly support City operations, public services, and the community.

The City is intentionally taking a broad approach to this recruitment. We recognize that strong candidates may bring different combinations of legal experience, professional backgrounds, and areas of expertise. Accordingly, the specific title, assignment, caseload, and areas of responsibility may be tailored to the qualifications and strengths of the successful candidates, as well as the evolving needs of the City and Legal Department.

Candidates with substantial experience in municipal or governmental law, litigation, administrative law, labor and employment, contracts, real estate, zoning and land use, civil rights, public finance, regulatory enforcement, or other relevant areas are encouraged to apply. Candidates do not need to have experience in all of these areas. The City is interested in understanding what each candidate can contribute and how that experience can complement the Legal Department’s existing resources.

The ideal candidates will be experienced, adaptable, practical, and committed to public service. They will bring strong legal judgment and the ability to work collaboratively with individuals throughout a municipal organization. Of particular importance is the ability to understand complex legal issues in the context of the City’s operational objectives and provide clear, practical, and legally sound advice to decision-makers.

The City welcomes both municipal law generalists and attorneys whose experience is concentrated in one or more specific practice areas. Specialized expertise may be particularly valuable depending on the City’s needs and the overall composition of the successful candidate pool. The City is seeking attorneys who can contribute immediately while also demonstrating the flexibility and willingness to learn required to address the varied legal issues that arise in municipal government.

We welcome candidates with experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Labor and employment
• Civil rights
• Zoning and land use
• Real Estate
• Municipal or Governmental Law
• Litigation
• Code and regulatory enforcement
• Other legal practice areas applicable to municipal government

Key Responsibilities

• Labor & Employment
  • Advise on employment and labor matters, including employee relations, discipline, personnel actions, and workplace issues.
  • Conduct or assist with internal investigations involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, policy violations, and related concerns.
  • Assist with collective bargaining and labor relations matters, as appropriate.
• Land Use and Development
  • Advise on land use, zoning, and development matters.
  • Draft and review zoning ordinances, development regulations, resolutions, and related policies.
  • Advise City staff on zoning applications, variances, special uses, planned developments, subdivisions, and annexations.
  • Draft and negotiate development agreements, annexation agreements, and other development-related contracts.
  • Ensure land use decisions comply with constitutional, statutory, and procedural requirements.
  • Advise planning commissions, zoning boards, and other decision‑making bodies on legal procedures.
  • Advise on municipal real estate transactions and property issues associated with development.
• General Legal Counsel
  • Advise the City Manager, department heads, elected officials, boards, commissions, and staff.
  • Research and interpret federal, state law, and local law.
  • Advise on legal risks, compliance, legislation, policies, and programs.
  • Draft and review ordinances, resolutions, contracts, agreements, leases, deeds, policies, opinions, and other legal documents.
  • Serve as counsel to designated boards and commissions.
• Litigation & Administrative Law
  • Represent the City in hearings, negotiations, mediations, arbitrations, administrative proceedings, and court matters.
  • Prosecute municipal code violations and enforcement actions.
  • Handle zoning, building, property maintenance, safety, regulatory, and other municipal matters.
  • Manage civil litigation, including pleadings, discovery, motions, hearings, trials, settlements, and appeals.
  • Address delinquent taxes, fees, fines, assessments, and other amounts owed to the City.
  • Coordinate with City departments and outside counsel.

Required Qualifications

• J.D. or equivalent degree from an accredited law school.
• Admission to Illinois bar.
• Substantial legal experience.
• Strong legal research, writing, advocacy, negotiation, and communication skills.
• Ability to independently analyze and resolve complex legal issues.
• Sound professional judgment, discretion, and ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and work effectively with officials, executives, employees, attorneys, outside professionals, and the public.

Preferred Qualifications

Progressively responsible experience in municipal or governmental law, litigation, administrative law, labor and employment, transactional law, regulatory matters, or other relevant practice areas is preferred.

Government or public‑sector experience is desirable but not required for candidates with strong transferable experience.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Excellent legal research and analytical skills.
• Strong written and oral advocacy.
• Ability to translate complex legal issues into clear, practical advice.
• Initiative, sound judgment, and adaptability.
• Strong organization and case‑management skills.
• Ability to collaborate across departments and with external stakeholders.
• Ability to build effective professional relationships.
• Discretion in handling sensitive matters.
• Commitment to professionalism, integrity, and public service.

Benefits

Our employees are our greatest asset and reason for our success. As a full‑time Classified/non‑union employee, you will receive a Total Compensation package including healthcare/wellness benefits, paid time off (PTO), insurance and retirement. Details below:

Healthcare/Wellness

• Medical - choice between a lower deductible PPO, an HSA-compatible PPO, and an HMO
  • All plans administered by BCBS
  • 75% employer subsidy provided, for employee and any covered dependent(s). Working spouse exclusion applies, however, to the Medical Plan
• Dental - PPO
  • Administered by BCBS
  • 50% employer subsidy provided, for employee and any covered dependent(s)
• Vision - PPO
  • Administered by VSP
  • 50% employer subsidy provided, for employee and any covered dependent(s)
• Medical and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• Extensive Wellness program, including an annual Health Club Reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – for assistance with work, health & life topics such as overall wellbeing, relationship management, workplace challenges, addiction, child/elder care resources, legal advice, financial guidance, nutrition & physical health

Paid Time Off (PTO)

• 2 weeks vacation, provided on your start date
  • 3 weeks provided 1-4 years
  • 4 weeks provided 5-15 years
  • 4 weeks and 1 day provided 16 years
  • 4 weeks and 2 days provided 17 years
  • 4 weeks and 3 days provided 18 years
  • 4 weeks and 4 days provided 19 years
  • 5 weeks provided 20+ years
• 12.5 paid holidays each year
  • New Year's Day
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day
  • Good Friday
  • Memorial Day
  • Juneteenth
  • 4th of July
  • Labor Day
  • Veterans Day
  • Thanksgiving
  • Day After Thanksgiving
  • Christmas Eve
  • Christmas Day
  • New Year's Eve (1/2 day)
• 2 personal days provided each year
• Opportunity to earn a Wellness Day each year
• 1 sick day earned each month, up to a maximum bank of 60 days

Insurance

• $50,000 Employer-provided benefit
• Voluntary Life Insurance buy-up

Retirement

• Automatic enrollment in the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) Pension – benefit details can be found here
• Voluntary retirement options available:
  • 457 Account (similar to a 401k)
  • Roth IRA
  • Additional Voluntary After‑Tax Contribution (VAC) plan via IMRF

01

Do you have a J.D. or equivalent degree from an accredited law school.

• Yes
• No

02

Do you have experience as a practicing attorney in municipal law?

• Yes
• No

03

Have you represented a municipality in litigation or administrative proceedings?

• Yes
• No
• Required Question