Assistant Corporation Counsel

This position advises and represents the City of Charleston in matters of a legal nature, with an emphasis in real estate law, and contract review and drafting, and other transactional law.

• Advise and provide legal guidance to the Mayor, City council, Boards and Commissions and Department heads

• Review, draft and assist in negotiating contracts generally, with an emphasis on construction contracts for the City Departments of Parks, Stormwater, and Public Service

• Manage communication with departments concerning the status of contract requests and expectations concerning the contract production process.

• Handle real estate acquisition, finance, development, land use, brokerage, appraisal, survey, leasing, ownership, sale, and management and all the way through situations involving distressed and foreclosed real estate

  • make sure that any defects in title are cleared before closing

  • assist with the preparation of the deed, closing statement, and other documents required to be produced by the seller at the closing,

  • ensure the loan application is timely approved, loan documents and closing documents are properly prepared, title insurance is procured and any property inspection or environmental inspection are undertaken and satisfied.

• Negotiate, draft, and/or review deeds, easements, memoranda of agreement, and/or licenses relating to real property.

• Perform comprehensive legal research in all areas of the law impacting the City's operations.

• Interpret laws, rulings, regulations, court decisions, and ordinances.

• Draft ordinances, policies, legal memoranda, correspondence and reports.

• Attend City Council meetings, City Council Committee meetings, and neighborhood and other meetings as needed.

• Represent the interests of the City in litigation or other proceedings of a legal nature, as assigned by Corporation Counsel.

• Perform other duties as assigned

• Juris Doctorate Law degree (J. D.)

• Eight or more (8+) years in the practice of law with emphasis on real estate, land use, contract review/drafting, and related fields

• Must be a member in good standing of the South Carolina Bar and Rule 403 certified within six months of hire date

• Experience in police training and police department civil litigation, including a proven record of leading complex jury trials to favorable outcomes; risk management; organizational culture change; and special projects that increase public trust and reduce risk. Special project experience includes emerging policing issues such as use of force and body-worn cameras, as well as engagement with police officers and industry experts.

• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships with police executives, government partners, police attorneys, industry experts, and internal and external stakeholders.

• Experience working with sworn and non-sworn staff to research and resolve complex issues in coordination with human resources, external counsel, and other partners.

• Experience handling sensitive internal affairs investigations and making sound, defensible legal and operational decisions.

• Experience managing Freedom of Information Act requests, including developing systems for review, redaction, release, and response to high-volume requests in large agencies.

• Familiarity with AIA and other standard design and construction documents

• Knowledge of insurance and indemnity issues on construction projects

• Knowledge of performance and payment bonds

• Experience in real estate and land use

• Experience in municipal law

• In the event of major storms or other emergency situations, this position may be subject to 24-hour shifts or any other emergency schedule that is necessary to meet the City’s needs.

• May require evenings, weekends, and holidays as scheduled.