Assistant City Attorney I

City of Ocala•Fl 34471, FL

22h•Onsite

About The Position

This position assists the City Attorney in providing legal representation to the City Council of the City of Ocala, Florida. Essential Duties and Responsibilities include researching legal issues as directed by the City Attorney, drafting legal opinions for the City Manager, department heads, other members of the senior leadership team for the City of Ocala and the City Council. The role also involves researching and drafting ordinances and resolutions for presentation to the City Council, conducting legal research utilizing records, journals and other available resources, and prosecuting, defending and otherwise litigating actions before state and federal courts and administrative boards and agencies on behalf of the City of Ocala. The position requires effectively and positively representing the City of Ocala in delivering and performing work with colleagues and clients, irrespective of gender, race, religion, age, disability, political affiliation or belief, or sexual orientation. Establishing and maintaining effective and professional relationships with work colleagues, other attorneys, members of the legal community, supervisors and managers is crucial. The role involves performing duties with professionalism and urgency, and any other related duties as required or assigned.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
Member in good standing of the Florida Bar.
Must possess and maintain a valid Florida Operators Driver’s License with an acceptable driving record.
Basic: Contract Management, Presentation/PowerPoint, Word Processing/Typing.
Knowledge of federal, state, county and city laws, ordinances and regulations.
Knowledge of proper rules and procedures for managing state and federal lawsuits.
Skill in researching and analyzing complex legal and day-to-day problems.
Skill in communicating effectively, orally and in writing.
Ability to match deadlines with workload through proper scheduling.
Ability to logically research and present alternate solutions to complex problems.
Ability to establish and maintain effective and professional relationships with work colleagues, supervisors, managers and the public.
Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide numbers.
Ability to perform these mathematical skills using money and other forms of measurement.
Ability to utilize common sense understanding in order to carry out written, oral or diagrammed instructions.
Ability to deal with problems involving several known variables in situations of a routine nature.
Ability to read, analyze, and understand common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents.
Ability to respond to complex or difficult inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community.
Considerable responsibility with regard to general assignments in planning time, method, manner, and/or sequence of performance of own work; may also occasionally assist in the planning of work assignments performed by others within a limited area of operation.
Performs work operations which permit frequent opportunity for decision-making of minor importance and also frequent opportunity for decision-making of major importance, either of which would affect the work operations of small organizational component and the organization's clientele.
Operations requiring very close and continuous attention for control of operations which require a high degree of coordination or immediate response.
Operations requiring intermittent direct thinking to determine or select the most applicable way of handling situations regarding the organization's administration and operations; also to determine or select material and equipment where highly variable sequences are involved.
Fairly broad activities using moderately structured procedures with only generally guided supervision.
Interpolation of learned things in somewhat varied situations.
Regular use of complex machines and equipment (desktop/laptop computer and software, etc.).
Probable errors would normally not be detected in succeeding operations and could possibly affect organization-patron relationship, involve re-work, or additional expenditures in order to properly resolve the error. The possibility of such errors would occur quite frequently in performance of the job.
May also cause inaccuracies or incomplete information that would be used in other segments of the organization as a basis for making subsequent decisions, plans, or actions.
Regular contacts with patrons where the contacts are initiated by the employee. Involves both furnishing and obtaining information and, also, attempting to influence the decisions of those persons contacted. Contacts of considerable importance and of such nature, that failure to exercise proper judgment may result in important tangible or intangible losses to the organization.
Contacts with other departments or offices and also frequently with individuals in middle level positions; consulting on problems that necessitate judgment and tact in presentation to obtain cooperation or approval of action to be taken. Also, important contacts with associates as required in advanced supervisory jobs, plus frequent contact with senior level internal officials.
While performing the functions of this job, the employee is Regularly required to stand, Regularly required to walk, Regularly required to sit, Regularly required to use hands, Frequently required to reach, Occasionally required to stop, Regularly required to talk, Regularly required to taste.
The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds Continuously.
Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.
Extensive knowledge of the City of Ocala's Ordinances and Charter provisions, and of State, Federal and Constitutional Law.
Extensive knowledge of judicial procedures, rules of evidence and methods of legal research.
Extensive knowledge of established precedents and sources of legal reference applicable to municipal activities.
Extensive knowledge of administrative and personnel law as they relate to the City of Ocala.
Knowledge of City, State, Federal, and common law and constitutional law affecting City government to include law issues pertaining to public employment, expressive conduct, police misconduct, and other issues affecting municipal functions.
Knowledge of established precedents and source of legal reference as well as judicial procedures and rules of evidence as applicable to City activities.
Knowledge of municipal finance, taxation, construction and the acquisition of goods and services, including competitive bidding and contract award procedures in accordance with the Competitive Consultants Negotiations Act.
Knowledge of the laws of Florida, federal laws relating to employment and discrimination, common law, administrative law and regulations, and local legislation pertaining to the city; municipal administration and organization.
Skill in conducting research on complex legal issues and preparing sound legal opinions.
Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, orally and in writing.
Ability to prepare and try civil law cases before County, State and Federal Courts.
Ability to effectively manage and resolve conflict while mitigating liability and risk to the City.
Ability to interpret and apply legal principles and precedents in resolving complex legal problems.
Ability to multi-task while working with tight deadlines and shifting priorities.
Ability to analyze and define problems, identify alternative solutions, estimate consequences of proposed actions, and implement recommendations in support of goals.
Ability to organize work for timely completion.
Ability to write and speak clearly and succinctly in a variety of communication settings to include addressing public relations problems effectively, courteously and tactfully.
Ability to establish and maintain effective and cooperative working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
Ability to plan, assign, and direct work of professional, para-professional, technical and supervisory employees in a manner that promotes full performance to include blending people into teams when necessary and fostering open dialogue and participation; set clear objectives and measures and monitor process, progress and results.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with city officials, directors, managers and other employees, court officials and representatives of the court, and the general public.

Nice To Haves

Minimum of 5 years’ experience as a practicing attorney with a preferred focus on litigation and/or city, county and/or local government law.

Responsibilities

Researches legal issues as directed by the City Attorney.
Drafts legal opinions for the City Manager, department heads, other members of the senior leadership team for the City of Ocala and the City Council.
Researches and drafts ordinances and resolutions for presentation to the City Council.
Conducts legal research utilizing records, journals and other available resources.
Prosecutes, defends and otherwise litigates the actions before state and federal courts and administrative boards and agencies on behalf of the City of Ocala.
Effectively and positively represents the City of Ocala in delivering and performing work with colleagues and clients, irrespective of gender, race, religion, age, disability, political affiliation or belief, or sexual orientation.
Establish and maintain effective and professional relationships with work colleagues, other attorneys, members of the legal community, supervisors and managers.
Performs the duties listed and assigned with professionalism and urgency.
Perform any other related duties as required or assigned.
Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organizations policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring and training employees; planning, assigning and directing work appraising performance, rewarding and disciplining employees addressing complaints and resolving problems.