Assistant City Attorney II (Risk)

Welcome to the City of Charlotte

Charlotte is America’s Queen City, opening her arms to a diverse and inclusive community of residents, businesses and visitors alike. Here you will find a safe, family-oriented city where people work together to help everyone thrive. The mission of the City of Charlotte is to deliver quality public services and promote the safety, health, and quality of life for all residents.

Our guiding principles include:

• Attracting and retaining a skilled and diverse workforce

• Valuing teamwork, openness, accountability, productivity, and employee development

• Providing all customers with courteous, responsive, accessible, and seamless quality services

• Taking initiative to identify, analyze, and solve problems

• Collaborating with stakeholders to make informed decisions

SUMMARY

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Serve as legal counsel to the Finance Department, Risk Division.
• Provide advice and counsel to management and Finance/Risk professionals in all departments on all aspects of day-to-day employment-related matters, including but not limited to hiring and termination, discrimination, retaliation, compensation, benefits, leaves of absence, and employee investigations.
• Collaborate with the litigation team of attorneys and work closely with the litigation supervising attorney.
• Litigate, monitor, and manage pending moderate to complex litigation throughout the City to occasionally include cases assigned to outside counsel.
• Represent the City in pending litigation, administrative board hearings and appeals in federal and state courts.
• Prepare pleadings, statements, memoranda, briefs; draft and negotiate settlements and other legal documents; efficiently and effectively manage discovery, including depositions.
• Appear and zealously defend the City in court as required, including at hearings, mediations, arbitrations, and trials.
• Conduct direct settlement negotiations with opposing attorneys.
• Stay abreast of all relevant law, document management tools, and litigation and trial-related technology.
• Partner as needed with other attorneys in hearings, trial preparation and during trial.
• Identify and research issues within the complex operational, business, policy, and legal framework of the City.
• Actively analyze matters, provide accurate, timely and sound legal advice and opinions, verbally and in writing, to other attorneys and City staff.
• Ensure compliance with all local, state, and federal laws specific to municipalities.
   

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Knowledge of constitutional, federal, state, and local laws affecting municipal government employers.
• Comfortable interfacing with and providing counsel to City executives and Finance/Risk professionals.
• Ability to prepare and litigate cases and possess prior litigation experience with federal and state courts.
• Knowledge of local rules, civil procedures, and rules of evidence.
• Ability to master new material quickly, manage diverse legal portfolio and handle fast-paced environment.
• Experience litigating before administrative and quasi-judicial boards and commissions.
• Ability to work collaboratively with others; analyze issues from a legal, policy, and practical perspective; and provide clear advice and counsel.
• Ability to think creatively, work independently and exercise sound judgment.
• Ability to prepare and try moderately complex civil cases.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, colleagues, the public, elected and appointed officials, and stakeholders.
• Strong attention to detail and excellent problem-solving, research and writing skills.
• Ability to build positive relationships across all levels of the organization.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Juris Doctorate degree from an ABA accredited law school and current license to practice law in North Carolina.
• Minimum of five (5) years of relevant work experience as a practicing attorney for Assistant City Attorney II.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

The City’s Background Check Policy requires background checks to be conducted on final internal or external candidate(s) applying for any position with the City of Charlotte. The type of information that will be collected as part of a background check includes, but is not limited to: reference checks, social security verification, education verification, criminal conviction record check, and, if applicable, a credit history check, sex offender registry and motor vehicle records check.

Background checks must be in compliance with all federal and state statutes, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The checks must be consistent with the guidelines set forth by these laws requiring organizations to obtain a candidate’s written authorization before obtaining a criminal background report, motor vehicle records check or credit report; and to properly store and dispose of information derived from such reports.

Final candidates must pass a pre-employment drug-screening test and physical examination. During the selection process, candidates may be asked to take a skills test, and/or participate in other assessments.

The City of Charlotte is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, marital status, age, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or on the basis of actual or perceived gender as expressed through dress, appearance, or behavior.

Our culture is to serve the community honorably.

HOW TO APPLY

Apply online.

Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job.

You are welcome to visit the City of Charlotte Human Resources Department lobby, where self-service application kiosks are available. They are located in our office at 700 East 4th Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28202. We are open Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (EST), excluding official City holidays.

For questions about your application or the hiring process, please email Careers@ci.charlotte.nc.us.

The City of Charlotte is committed to making our services and programs accessible to all. Upon request, auxiliary aids, written materials in alternate formats, language access, and other reasonable accommodations or modifications will be provided. To make a request, please fill out the Innovation & Technology ADA request form or call 704.336.4120.

BENEFITS

The City of Charlotte provides a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees.

Click here to learn more about the City of Charlotte’s benefits.

The City of Charlotte is a drug and alcohol-free workplace.