Assistant City Attorney – Civil Litigation

City of Minneapolis•Minneapolis, MN

8h•Hybrid

About The Position

By the City Charter, the attorneys of the City Attorney’s Office, as a team, serve as the attorneys and counselors at law to the Mayor, City Council, boards, committees, departments, and officers. The attorneys of the CAO are the exclusive representatives of the City and are authorized to provide legal advice and opinion to the City and its officers and staff. Under supervision provide the City of Minneapolis and its various officials, boards, agencies and departments with professional legal services relating to a wide range of civil litigation matters, including representing the city in all stages of civil and administrative litigation matters, providing legal advice, conducting legal research, and other legal work of the Civil Division of the City Attorney’s Office.

Requirements

Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited law school
Two or more years of relevant legal experience which may include both legal on the job experience before bar admission and experience as a practicing attorney
Currently licensed to practice law in the State of Minnesota.
Legal knowledge and technical skills
Civil litigation experience
Knowledge of and the ability to use online law resources such as Westlaw.
Knowledge of a wide range of legal issues and precedents pertinent to civil law.
Ability to deal respectfully and effectively with people with people from all cultures.
Good oral and written communication skills.
Organizational and prioritization skills
Initiative and problem-solving skills.
Forty-five credits of continuing legal education courses every three years

Nice To Haves

Experience in representing a public entity as a lawyer or student attorney.
Jury or court trial experience.

Responsibilities

Represent the City in All Stages of Civil Litigation Matters: Analyze pleadings to determine legal issues, immunities, and liabilities.
Establish an efficient and effective research plan to determine a case's proper course of action.
Conduct research using a caselaw database, such as Westlaw, to locate relevant controlling or persuasive cases that address specific legal issues presented in litigation.
Apply case law to the facts in a persuasive briefing to the court with proper assertions of support cited accurately from case law.
Respond within time-sensitive timelines to discovery requests with responses asserting appropriate defenses and seek requests to reinforce City defenses and minimize liability.
Manage discovery process including using e-discovery tools.
Direct investigative staff to conduct any additional necessary investigation.
Review and analyze evidence, including physical evidence, body-worn cameras, squad, transit, and surveillance footage, and jail and 911 tapes.
Evaluate and secure expert witnesses.
Review and analyze medical records, laboratory reports, and expert witness reports.
Make appropriate recommendations to City staff, including the City Attorney, client departments, elected officials, and internal colleagues, to minimize legal exposure. This includes analysis and advice on whether to settle the matter and for how much, appeal an adverse decision or verdict, and consider the risks and benefits of continuing litigation.
Attend and engage in negotiations at settlement conferences with council members and department administration.
Deliver well-thought-out, persuasive oral arguments advancing the case’s legal theories and strengths both internally (client departments, CAO colleagues, and elected officials) and externally (judge and jury).
Respond to asserted claims of weaknesses in the case with well-reasoned counterarguments.
Meet and communicate with the plaintiff’s counsel regarding the status of the case and related issues.
Prepare cases for presentation in court, including those of a complex nature, by determining trial themes, identifying trial exhibits, drafting witness examinations, and thoroughly preparing City witnesses for direct and cross-examination.
Represent the City in administrative, court, and jury trials.
Communicate regularly with decision-making clients and city employees impacted by the litigation.
Research and draft briefs and present oral arguments for appeals at the Minnesota Court of Appeals and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Manage an assigned caseload, coordinating court dates and other schedules with all concerned parties.