Assistant City Attorney III

An Overview
Are you an experienced attorney with experience in public works and/or environmental services? Are you an attorney interested in making a direct impact in the community? If so, the City of Alexandria’s City Attorney’s Office is looking for an Assistant City Attorney III that you may be interested in.

This is professional legal work involving legal advice and representation in selected areas of municipal operations. An Assistant City Attorney III has responsibility to act as counsel for major City departments and offices. The incumbent will represent the Department of Transportation and Environmental Services and the Department of Project Implementation. An incumbent in this class provides client’s advice on a regular basis; conducts research; reviews and prepares agreements, contracts, and other legal documents; prepares ordinances and opinions; and assists in litigation arising in these areas. An Assistant City Attorney III works under the general supervision of a Deputy City Attorney and the City Attorney. Technical guidance may be provided by Assistant City Attorneys III to staff members of lower grade.

The Opportunity
The tasks of the position may include:

• Reviewing, drafting, and negotiating contracts, leases, deeds, easements, grants, and other legal documents;
• Performing research and preparing opinions on various legal issues facing the client departments;
• Responding to inquiries from and rendering legal advice to clients;
• Assisting in defending suits against the City and City Council in the issue areas relevant to client departments;
• Attending meetings of public bodies related to the work of the client departments and advising them on legal issues;
• Preparing ordinances and resolutions for consideration by City Council;
• Performing trainings for the client departments in processes and procedures to ensure legal compliance; and
• Other duties as assigned.

About the Department
The City Attorney's Office provides legal advice to City Council, Boards and Commissions, the City Manager and City Departments. We are responsible for drafting ordinances, contracts, deeds, leases, and other legal papers. We represent the City in civil court to defend the City in actions taken against it and to initiate cases to enforce the City's laws and actions. Our office is also responsible for handling requests for public records, in compliance with the Freedom of Information Act and for serving as an adjudicator for parking ticket disputes.

Minimum & Additional Requirements

To qualify for this position, all candidates must possess a Juris Doctor degree; be eligible to practice law in the Commonwealth of Virginia immediately upon hire and have a minimum of 3 or more years of experience as an attorney;

Preferred Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have significant experience with environmental, stormwater, transportation and sewer transactions, construction contracts, drafting and negotiating contracts, deeds and other legal documents, ordinance drafting and conducting legal research; excellent legal writing skills; and experience in dealing with inquiries from members of the public, staff, and local governing bodies.

Notes

This position will require the successful completion of a background investigation, to include a criminal records check.