Assistant City Attorney

Job Description

The Assistant City Attorney is an important team member in the City Attorney's Office, performing highly complex, professional legal work in a fast-paced environment. The City Attorney's Office is currently recruiting for two positions - one which will focus on complex contracts, and one which will focus on real property, land use, and development. Please see both position postings. Work is performed under the general supervision of the City Attorney.

The primary practice areas for this position will be related to real property, land use, and development matters. This position will provide advice and counsel related to acquisition of real property interests for City projects (right of way, easement, fee simple, lease, et al.), disposition of City owned real property, land use, zoning, planning, development, code enforcement, inspections, and community development matters. Additionally, this position will be responsible for performing other legal research as requested and other assignments as directed by the City Attorney.

Essential Tasks

• Performs highly complex legal work for a wide range of clients, including City Council, appointed boards and commissions, management, and staff across more than twenty departments.

• Drafts, reviews, and negotiates (as needed) various legal documents related to municipal operations, including but not limited to complex contracts, resolutions, ordinances, real property related documents, litigation related documents, et al.

• Conducts legal research and prepares memoranda, briefs, legal opinions, and other legal documents in response to proposals, questions, and issues presented by the City Council, appointed boards and commissions, management, and staff.

• Attends City Council meetings and appointed board and commission meetings, as assigned or requested by City Attorney.

• Represents the City in public meetings, legislative hearings, quasi-judicial hearings, administrative hearings, and courts of law, as assigned or requested by the City Attorney.

• Coordinates complex litigation with outside law firms, as assigned or requested by the City Attorney.

• Participates and acts as legal advisor and counsellor in City management and staff meetings.

• Assists with the fulfillment of public records requests, including review and redaction of documents.

• Keeps abreast of court decisions and legislative changes related to municipal law and other areas of law relevant to municipalities.

• Participates in special projects and other duties as assigned by City Attorney.

Qualifications

• Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university;

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited school of law;

• A North Carolina bar license active and in good standing; and

• A minimum of three (3) years of experience as a practicing attorney.

• A valid North Carolina Class C Driver's License.

Preferred Skills

• More than three (3) years of experience as a practicing attorney.

• Experience working for a local government or other in-house attorney/general counsel's office setting.

• Experience representing local, state, of federal regulatory agencies, boards, or commissions.

• Experience with government-related issues at the local, state, or federal level.

• Experience drafting, reviewing, and interpreting municipal ordinances, administrative regulations, state law, or federal law.

• Experience drafting, negotiating, reviewing, and interpreting complex contracts and other relevant legal documents, while identifying and mitigating legal exposures and risks.

• Experience with review and redaction of documents for public records requests.

• Familiarity with UNC School of Government, NC League of Municipalities, NC Association of Municipal Attorneys, and/or other local government organizations.

• UNC School of Government Municipal and County Administration course completion.

Physical Requirements

Hearing/Speaking

• Expressing and/or receiving information by means of spoken word are both necessary to converse with internal and external customers including co-workers, citizens, and applicants.

Visual Abilities - the ability to perceive via eyesight is required for this position:

• Acuity, far - clarity of vision at 20 feet or more. Must be able to see from a distance when administering and observing employment tests, operating a motor vehicle, or addressing an audience.

• Acuity, near - clarity of vision at 20 inches or less. Must be able to see work-related business documents close at hand.

• Depth perception

• Three-dimensional vision and the ability to judge distance and space relationships.

• Field of Vision - the area that can be seen up and down or to the right or left while eyes are focused on one point. Must be able to see a wide span of area.

• Accommodation

• Must be able to adjust the eye lens to glance quickly.

Physical Strength - degree of physical demands typically associated with this position include:

• Light Work

• Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally; and/or

• Exerting up to 10 pounds of force frequently; and

• A negligible amount of force constantly to handle or move materials related to the position.

• Type of Physical Demands

• Reaching

• Extending the hand(s) or arm(s) in any direction.

• Handling

• Seizing, holding, grasping, turning, or otherwise working with hand(s).

• Fingering

• Picking, pinching or otherwise working with fingers primarily rather than the entire hand or arm.

Mental Activity/Requirements

Reasoning:

• Ability to apply principles of logical thinking combined with knowledge of principles and practices of public personnel and employment laws to work tasks and handle practical situations, comprehend, and respond to a variety of situations in a timely fashion and exercise good judgment.

Mathematics Ability:

• Using arithmetic and/or Statistics: Ability to direct and oversee the use of arithmetic and/or statistics in the preparation of a variety of tests and reports.

Language Ability:

• The ability to speak, read and write the English Language are required for this position.

Environmental Conditions

Physical Surroundings:

• The Human Resources Analyst is subject to working inside or outdoors.

Hazards:

• There are no occupational hazards typically associated with this position.

Machinery/Tools/Work Aids/Other Equipment:

• Equipment regularly associated with office-based work.

Our Commitments

The City of High Point is committed to be an Equal Opportunity Employer which celebrates diversity and seeks to attract and retain the best qualified partners in service to the Citizens of the City of High Point. The City of High Point is an at-will employer and employees may be terminated or may terminate their employment at any time with or without reason for any reason not prohibited by law.

The City of High Point is committed to classifying and compensating its employees fairly and equitably for the work they do weighed with both the internal capabilities and the external market. While the job description is not intended to and does not create a contract of employment, we are excited to use this "living document" as a guide for managing performance and positions to ensure job descriptions are reflective of the current work required by the incumbent or expected by any candidate to whom an offer of employment is extended.

The City of High Point is committed to providing a safe, comfortable working environment to all employees. To that end, we are proud to comply with all Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements, as well as make reasonable accommodations to candidates and employees as we are able in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Candidates selected for employment must undergo (a.) a physical to determine whether they will be able to safely complete the essential functions of the job with or without a reasonable accommodation (b.) a drug screening, in accordance with the City's drug and alcohol policy and (c.) a background screening to determine whether there is any current, pending or previous charge, conviction or other infraction deemed incompatible with service in the capacity for which the candidate is being hired. Successful results from all three of these conditions will result in an offer of employment.