Assistant City Attorney

General Description:                          

Under the direction of the City Attorney, this position is responsible for performing professional legal work in preparing and prosecuting cases in the Franklin, Licking, and Fairfield County Municipal Courts and Reynoldsburg Mayor’s Court, including all violations of the City Charter, ordinances, and Ohio statutes. This position has a certain degree of autonomy and works directly with multiple agencies including law enforcement, courts, and administration.  Work is, at times, required to be performed outside normal working including serving on an on-call 24-hours/day rotation and assisting law enforcement personnel, as needed, at any time of any day.

Essential Functions of Work 

• Acts as City Attorney in her or his absence
• Prepares legal documents, legal opinions, research papers, real estate contracts, draft contracts for the City, draft revised or new legislation for review based on changes in law or legislative request from member(s) of City Council or Administration, review proposed legislation, and may represent the City in hearings and appeals
• Prepare reports and analysis of civil and criminal case loads and maintain public records and confidential documents
• Respond to inquiries on legal issues from City, State and Federal officials, legislators, and the general public on an as-needed basis
• Appear in public and private forums on behalf of the City to discuss law and policy issues
• Prepare for and make presentations on behalf of the City with respect to legal issues
• Testify before government bodies on behalf of the City Attorney
• Discuss individual cases with the media/public where appropriate
• Attend Council Meetings, Planning and Zoning Board Meetings, Civilian Review Board Meetings, and other meetings on an as used basis to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal law on open meetings
• Maintains required licenses and/or certificates
• Meets all job safety requirements and all applicable OSHA safety standards that pertain to essential functions
• Demonstrates regular and predictable attendance
• Performs other related duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

Education

• Completion of twenty-four (24) hours of continuing legal education from accredited programs for applicable two (2) year reporting period pursuant to Rule X of Rules of Government of Bar of Ohio
• Admission to Ohio Bar pursuant to O.R.C. 5705.01; Must possess and maintain certificate of registration pursuant to Rule VII of Government of Bar of Ohio
• Must possess a valid Ohio Driver’s License

Knowledge of:

• Government structure and process
• Ohio Supreme Court certification/licensure requirements
• Federal, state, and municipal laws and/or regulations
• Case preparation techniques
• Department goals and objectives
• Department policies and procedures
• Public relations; media relations
• Community resources and services
• Civil and criminal law, including zoning, nuisance abatement, and contract law
• Rules of evidence; courtroom procedures; civil procedure; criminal procedure; legal terminology; court filing procedures
• Office practices and procedures; English grammar and spelling
• Records management

Skills in:

• Word processing; computer operation; use of modern office equipment

Ability to:

• Define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions
• Understand interpret, and apply laws, rules, or regulations to specific situations
• Calculate statistics; proofread technical materials, recognize errors, and make corrections
• Use proper research methods to gather data
• Develop complex reports and position papers
• Prepare documents as required; prepare legal decisions
• Respond to routine inquiries from public and/or officials
• Prepare and deliver speeches and presentations; lecture on complex topics to highly specialized groups; communicate effectively; train or instruct others
• Understand a variety of written and/or verbal communications
• Gather, collate, and classify information; maintain records according to established procedures
• Work alone on most tasks
• Cooperate with co-workers on group projects
• Answer routine telephone inquiries
• Handle sensitive inquiries from and contacts with officials and general public
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships
• Resolve complaints

Working Conditions:

• Has contact with potentially violent or emotionally distraught persons

CLASS TITLES OF POSITIONS DIRECTLY SUPERVISED:

N/A