Attorney Fellowship - Denver City Attorney's Office

The City Attorney’s Office serves as the chief legal counsel to the Mayor, City Council, City Auditor, City Clerk and Recorder, and all City agencies. Its responsibilities include handling city lawsuits, prosecuting ordinance violations, providing victim support in criminal cases, representing the city in investigations and litigation, advising on contractual and transactional matters, offering regulatory and compliance assistance, addressing employment matters for the city's more than 12,000 workers, and providing guidance on local, state, and federal law.

With a team of over 250 individuals, the City Attorney’s Office is dedicated to protecting resident welfare, enhancing neighborhood quality of life, and responsibly managing taxpayer funds. As advocates for effective governance, transparency, and accountability, the office empowers the city to do its work and prioritizes ethical conduct in all city operations. Whether working with city agencies, engaging community stakeholders, or collaborating with external legal counsel, the office leverages its collective expertise to navigate complex legal challenges and advance key city priorities.

This is an on-call position, which means it is a part-time, hourly role. This position will work no more than 39 hours per week. The pay for this position $30.00/ hour and is eligible to enroll in the City and County of Denver’s 457b retirement plan. This position is not eligible for other additional benefits. On‐call positions may have routine or variable work schedules.

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.

The Denver City Attorney's Office is offering a one-year fellowship opportunity, running from Fall 2025 through Summer 2026, with opportunities to serve in the following divisions:

Civil Litigation & Claims

• The Civil Litigation Section is primarily responsible for representing the City and County of Denver, its officials, employees, departments, and agencies in lawsuits brought in Colorado federal and state courts. The Section’s scope of work includes the defense of civil rights, personal injury, and property damage lawsuits. The Section represents employees from all City departments and agencies, and touches upon all aspects of the City’s operations—from infrastructure to arts and venues, parks and recreation, public safety, and public health. The Civil Litigation Section manages a significant case load, provides pre-litigation and risk management advice, drafts and reviews policies and procedures, and provides training to City agencies and departments to mitigate the incurrence of liability. Fellows will play an active role in assigned cases in both state and federal court throughout all stages of litigation. Responsibilities may include meeting with clients, drafting pleadings and motions, court appearances, participating in settlement conferences, attending depositions, preparing witnesses for depositions or hearings, and conducting direct or cross-examination of witnesses during hearings or trials in small claims or Denver County Court.

Denver International Airport – Legal

• DEN Legal serves as in-house counsel to Denver International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the nation. DEN Legal attorneys are involved in every aspect of running the Airport, which includes addressing landlord/tenant issues with concessionaires, ensuring compliance with FAA regulations, analyzing land use issues, drafting and negotiating construction and professional services agreements, drafting and negotiating agreements with all airlines that use DEN, drafting and negotiating technology agreements and reviewing matters related to cyber security, dealing with accidents that occur onsite, and more. Fellows can expect to conduct legal research and write memos related to the above-mentioned practice areas, assist in contract drafting, and attend client meetings. Although much of DEN Legal’s work is transactional in nature, Fellows will be exposed to litigation and may have opportunities to attend depositions, hearings, and mediation proceedings. This is an excellent opportunity for a Fellow who is interested in eventually acting as in-house counsel for a large corporation.

Employment & Labor Law

• The attorneys in the Employment & Labor Law Section defend the City in employment-related litigation in state and federal courts involving claims of discrimination based on race, religion, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, and more. The attorneys in this section also represent the City in administrative appeals of adverse employment actions and workers’ compensation claims; respond to grievances and charges of discrimination filed by City employees; represent the City in collective bargaining negotiations and labor-related matters; and provide employment law advice and training to managers and supervisors across the City. Fellows observe as many different types of legal proceedings as possible, and complete, with guidance, substantive hands-on work including research and writing motions.

Legislative Counsel

• Legislative Counsel is a dynamic team who represents the thirteen elected members of the Denver City Council, the legislative arm of the City of Denver, and is looking for a flexible Fellow who can work independently, think on his or her feet, and work with attorneys, elected officials, and city staff. A Fellow selected to work with Legislative Counsel needs to have strong research and writing skills and excellent communication skills. The Fellow can expect to be involved in supporting Legislative Counsel, including researching relevant law, drafting ordinances and regulations, and involvement in the legislative process. The Fellow will work on a wide-range of substantive legal and policy issues, potentially including municipal law and home-rule, real estate and land use, environmental law, and finance law. In addition to working for Legislative Counsel, the Deputy City Attorney and Administrative section may assign tasks and projects to this Fellow. The assignments will vary depending on the projects being overseen by the Deputy City Attorney and have, for example, included work on the Immigrant Legal Defense Fund and the National Western Stock Show Center. Working with Legislative Counsel is a great opportunity to develop fundamental legal skills and to work at the forefront of local government law and policy in Colorado.

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Municipal Operations

• The Municipal Operations Section of the City Attorney’s Office provides legal services for the City related to land use and zoning, real estate and development, parks and open space, public works, taxation, bankruptcy, contracts, construction, environmental and general municipal law. The Section also handles commercial litigation matters, condemnations and administrative hearings, and represents the City in Rule 106 appeals. Municipal Operations provides general counsel and advice to City Council, the Auditor, the City Clerk and the Mayor’s Office, as well as to every department and agency of the City except Denver International Airport (DEN). Fellow assignments range from assisting and observing attorneys to conducting legal research and preparing memoranda, drafting simple motions, contracts, and documents, and attending court, administrative hearings, City Council, and meetings. Fellows will receive guidance directly from the staff attorney as to how to best accommodate and accomplish a work assignment.

Prosecution and Code Enforcement

• The Prosecution and Code Enforcement (PACE) Section provides an excellent opportunity to gain exposure to the criminal justice system, courtroom tasks, and substantive legal issues not covered in law school. Fellows may have the opportunity to appear in court and obtain trial experience. In addition to courtroom experience, PACE provides opportunities for research projects and tasks related to all municipal ordinance violations and certain state misdemeanor offenses. A PACE Fellow can specialize in various fields. In the realm of criminal prosecution, a Fellow represents the City in cases where defendants are accused of violating Municipal Ordinances. These cases can involve a wide range of crimes, from traffic offenses to incidents of domestic violence. In the area of nuisance abatement, Fellows handle civil in rem cases against real properties or vehicles used to facilitate certain predicate crimes. For those interested in administrative law, the Excise and Licenses/Marijuana Team offers a different focus. A Fellow on this team is responsible for researching and writing about various administrative legal issues related to excise, licenses, and marijuana regulation.

Our ideal candidate has some or all the following experience, skills, and characteristics:

• Must be a member of CU Law or DU Law’s Class of 2025

• Display a strong commitment to serving the public

• Understanding and ability to take initiative, such as seeking out projects and feedback

• Problem-solving skills

• Ability to effectively communicate with clients and colleagues

• Multi-tasking and prioritization skills

• Work effectively in a fast-paced environment

• Strong attention to detail

• Ability to work well under pressure and handle significant responsibility immediately

Mandatory documentation required to be considered for this position:

• College transcripts – either official or unofficial

• Cover letter detailing what area(s) you are interested in working with and why you are interested in this position

• Writing Sample

• Copy Resume and References

• Education requirement: Doctor of Jurisprudence Degree or Bachelor degree.
  Fellows need not be admitted to practice law if they have taken the bar exam and are eligible to practice with appropriate supervision. Fellow who don’t pass the bar exam may be terminated, or transferred to an intern classification or other applicable classification, at the discretion of and in accordance with the policies of the Denver City Attorney’s Office.

• Experience Requirement: None

• Education/Experience Equivalency: No substitution of experience for education is permitted.

• License/Certifications: None

This posting will accept applications until 11:59 PM on Friday, March 28, 2025. Please submit your application as soon as possible to ensure consideration.

Job Profile

To view the full job profile including position specifications, physical demands, and probationary period, click here.

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The City and County of Denver provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or any other status protected under federal, state, and/or local law. 

It is your right to access oral or written language assistance, sign language interpretation, real-time captioning via CART, or disability-related accommodations. To request any of these services at no cost to you, please contact Jobs@Denvergov.org with three business days’ notice.

Applicants for employment with the City and County of Denver must have valid work authorization that does not require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S.

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