City Solicitor

Description

Under the direction of the City Manager and Commission, the City Solicitor is responsible for providing professional, competent, and effective legal services and representation on the full range of subjects dealt with by the City. This position will provide advice on legal matters in the day-to-day operations and undertakings of the City. The City Solicitor is legal counsel for the city and is expected to represent the City vigorously and with professionalism.   

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

The following duties are normal for this position. These are not to be construed as exclusive or all-inclusive and other duties may be required and assigned. 

Legal Department Benchmarking 

• Develop, plan, implement, and administer Department goals, objectives, policies, and procedures necessary to provide assigned legal services.  

• Define roles, responsibilities, and timelines for project and tasks assigned to the Department. 

• Coordinate the activities of the Department when working with other Departments or employees of the city to ensure alignment and successful execution of the tasks assigned or undertaken by the Department. 

• Develop and implement appropriate metrics or benchmarking to measure the legal team’s performance both within and outside the department. 

• Establish protocols to collect, organize, and use data to inform decision making and performance management related to the legal team and the legal operations function. 

• Develop organization-level and matter-level reports, analyze reports, and follow up with the Legal Department on all matters and tasks assigned to or undertaken by the Department . 

• Develop and present communications of legal project management successes for use in internal reports. 

• Track program deliverables, achievements, action items, dependencies, risks and mitigation plans. 

• Directly manage identified projects to support the strategic objectives of the Legal Department. 

Oversight of Legal Operations 

• Develop and administer the City's budget for legal services; forecast additional funds necessary for outside counsel, staffing, equipment, materials and supplies; monitor expenditures; direct budgetary adjustments as necessary.  

• Manage and triage legal requests. 

• Supervise expense control and guide the Legal department’s external vendor relations, including overseeing vendor rates and compliance with City policies and billing guidelines. 

• Manage billing process for the Legal Department. 

• Handle the Legal Department’s day-to-day cash management operations and maintain financial records in compliance with City policies. 

• General administrative duties including management of supply ordering, billing, expenses, or invoice payment processing, copying, and mailing. 

Legal Counsel 

• Study and interpret laws, court decisions and other authorities; provide legal advice to all City boards and commissions, the City Commission, and City departments regarding legal implications of all City operations. 

• Receive and evaluate all legal claims filed against the City; make recommendations concerning the advisability to prosecute, compromise, or dismiss litigation for consideration by the City Commission; monitor and control liability claims and lawsuits. 

• Research and prepare formal written opinions on various legal problems as directed by the City Commission; provide written and oral legal advice and counsel as the need arises to the City Commission, City Manager, City departments and City boards and commissions on issues related to municipal law and activities.  

• Represent the City in court cases encompassing a wide variety of complex legal issues including all phases of pretrial, trial and appellate work in municipal, state, and or federal court; represent the City in administrative hearings before state and federal agencies. 

• Review proposed contracts, bond and financing papers, insurance policies and other documents affecting the City. 

• Prepare or review drafts and assist in the negotiation of proposed agreements; prepare or review ordinances, resolutions, deeds, pleadings, contracts and other legal documents. 

• Prepare a variety of periodic and special reports related to Legal department activities and legal cases.  

• Monitor legal developments, including proposed legislation and court decisions related to municipal law and activities, evaluate the impact on City operations and recommend appropriate action.  

• Attend meetings of the Board of Commissioners, Board of Architectural Review and Development (Board of Adjustment) , and other City Committees or Commissions, or ensure that legal counsel is present at these meetings, as required.  

Perform related duties as required.  

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES 

Supervise Legal Department staff. Supervise the City Clerk and the functions of the Office of the City Clerk.  

Qualifications

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE 

Juris Doctor degree with a Minimum 8 years of progressively responsible experience practicing municipal law in a municipality or a firm providing legal services to local government desired, including 4 years in a management or supervisory role or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this position. 

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES NECESSARY TO ACCOMPISH DUTIES 

• Knowledge of the principles and procedures of civil and criminal law, particularly as they are related to municipal government, including civil, criminal and administrative procedure. 

• Familiarity with principles, methods, and practices of legal research and investigations. 

• Willingness to follow all developments in municipal law and developments in other areas of the law that impact municipalities and governance of cities.  

• Understanding of judicial procedures and the rules of evidence. 

• Awareness of pleading, practices, and effective techniques in the presentation of court cases. 

• Knowledge and expertise in organization, duties, powers, limitations, and authority of City government and the City Solicitor’s office. 

• Familiarity with the responsibilities and obligations of public officials and administrative agencies  

• Understanding and mastery of State and Federal laws and constitutional provisions affecting municipal operations. 

• Awareness of established precedents and sources of legal reference applicable to municipal activities. 

• Ability to organize, analyze, interpret, and apply legal principles and precedents to specific local government problems.  

• Willingness and ability to p\Perform complex legal research, analyze complex problems, evaluate alternatives and make sound recommendations. 

• Present statements of law, fact, and argument clearly and logically. 

• Prepare clear, concise and complete legal documentation and reports, correspondence, and other written materials. 

• Develop, implement, and interpret goals, objectives, policies, procedures, work standards, and internal controls. 

• Represent the City effectively in meetings with others.  

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work, including the public, City staff, appointed members to Boards, Commissions, and Committees, and public officials. 

• Meet the physical requirements necessary to safely and effectively perform the assigned duties.  

LANGUAGE SKILLS 

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents.  Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community.  Ability to write reports to prescribed style and format.  Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and committees. 

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS 

Ability to calculate percentages, fractions and decimals; and ability to interpret basic descriptive statistical reports. Ability to use Excel and/or other spreadsheets for basic accounting, budget, and other municipal functions.  

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS 

License to practice law in the Commonwealth of Kentucky or able to secure license.  Must possess and maintain a valid state driver’s license or have the ability to obtain one prior to employment. 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.  The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, and sit.  The employee is required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and taste or smell. 

The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT 

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee will work in an office environment. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.   

POSITION TYPE/EXPECTED HOURS OF WORK: 

This is a full-time position.  City offices are open and hours of hours of work are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am 4:30 pm.  Commissions and Committees of the City meet at other hours. The Legal Department should be staffed and ready to engage Commissions, Departments, and Officers of the city during normal office hours and when the Commissions Committees, and officers are working. Evening, week-end or hours adjustments may be required as job duties demand. 

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.  Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. 

This position is for an Attorney who is ready to engage in the active practice of law and function as an officer of the City. It is expected that the City Solicitor will be an exemplary attorney and will advocate for the city in a professional manner and represent the City and its citizens effectively and with commitment and enthusiasm.