Assistant City Attorney II

Job Summary:

The City of Greeley is seeking an Attorney II to provide expert assistance and legal advice in support of the City Council, City Manager, and other City departments. This position is one of nine attorneys in the City Attorneys Office. Responsibilities will include general municipal law, such as representing the City in civil litigation, contract drafting and negotiations, agency advice, administrative law, real property transfers, and land development activities.

Experience, Knowledge, Skills:

• Graduation from an accredited law school.
• 3 years progressively responsible experience practicing law.
• Experience in civil litigation and/or criminal prosecution.
• Admission to practice before the courts of the State of Colorado. (If not currently admitted to Colorado Bar, must comply within one month of hire.)
• Government practice experience, including: statute or ordinance drafting, investigating civil claims and preparing civil litigation documents, and providing legal advice and representation on a broad range of government issues and services.
• Equivalent private sector legal experience may be substituted for public sector experience.
• Preferred candidate will have experience advising municipal clients in the areas of administrative law, bankruptcy, collections, litigation, and employment law, including extensive knowledge of state and/or federal regulatory issues that may apply in these areas.
• Excellent research, writing, academic, and oral and written communication skills.

Essential Functions:

• Knowledge of the organization, functions, and goals of municipal government.
• Extensive knowledge of the provisions of Colorado law and the Greeley Municipal Code and City Charter.
• Skill in drafting and negotiating complex contracts and agreements.
• Skill in oral and written communication.
• Ability to investigate claims and complaints against Greeley and to recommend and initiate appropriate action.
• Ability to prepare cases for hearings, trials, and other administrative and judicial proceedings, and to represent the City of Greeley in such proceedings.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships at all levels.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment.
• Ability to anticipate problems and to deal with them in a resourceful way.
• Ability to build and develop trusting relationships with colleagues, clients, City Attorney staff, and others.
• Ability to work in a cooperative and open fashion with other city staff, outside attorneys, consultants, vendors, and the general public.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret complex documents.
• Ability to respond effectively to sensitive inquiries or complaints.
• Ability to write speeches and articles using original or innovative techniques or style.
• Ability to maintain open, honest communication with others, to remain calm and rational in heated situations, and to respond and communicate clearly, accurately, and appropriately.
• Ability to plan, prioritize, and organize work assignments.
• Ability to attend meetings and perform work assignments at times other than normal business hours.
• Ability to make effective and persuasive oral presentations on controversial or complex topics to elected officials, members of the public, and City management.
• Ability to apply principles of logic and scientific thinking to a wide range of intellectual and practical problems.
• Ability to deal with nonverbal information (e.g. formulas, scientific equations, graphs).
• Ability to deal with a variety of abstract and concrete variables.

Work Environment:

• This is primarily a sedentary position with business conducted in either an office or courtroom setting.
• Public contact, sometimes in confrontational situations.
• Office environment with travel to and appearance in court courts, administrative tribunals, and other formal environments.
• Busy office activity with frequent inflexible deadlines.

Physical Requirements:

• Vision or ability to interpret written documents.
• Ability to sit or stand for extended periods in courtroom and by means of note-taking or mental capacity, be able to recall information presented in courts to be able to assert the Citys position.
• Effective communication skills to convey information to the court, public, and other City employees in person, by telephone, and by email or other electronic communication.
• Ability to operate a personal computer with legal research, word-processing, email, and case management software.