Assistant City Attorney I/II

City of Suffolk • Suffolk, VA

1d

About The Position

The Office of the City Attorney seeks an active attorney in good standing with the Virginia State Bar to serve as an Assistant City Attorney I/II. The Assistant City Attorney represents the City in employee grievance matters, performs legal research, reviews bonds and contracts, and provides legal advice to various City departments. Under limited supervision, performs professional legal work advising City departments on legal matters. Represents the City, its Council, its staff and its various Boards and Commissions. Serves as legal counsel to the City departments, City Council and City Boards and Commissions to advise officials on the legal implications for the City; and drafts and reviews major documents of the City. Fields of law practiced in this position may include contract, employment, civil rights, personal injury, constitutional, FOIA, real estate, zoning, bankruptcy, and child welfare. Employee must exercise considerable initiative and independent judgment in determining the proper course of action in establishing City policies and handling cases involving constitutional matters, statutory matters, monetary settlements, money damages, etc. Employee must also exercise tact and professional courtesy in frequent contact with City Council, government officials of the state, federal government and other local governments; persons conducting business; and citizens. Reports to the Deputy City Attorney. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this job description.

Requirements

• Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited law school
• 1 to 2 years of experience in state and federal courts or municipal law (for Assistant City Attorney I)
• A minimum of 4 years litigation experience in the practice of law in state and federal courts, preferably including work for local government; and have practiced of law municipal law, including eminent domain, child welfare law (for Assistant City Attorney II)
• Requires a valid driver's license.
• License to practice law in the Commonwealth of Virginia and be an active member in good standing with the Virginia State Bar and be admitted by the Supreme Court of Virginia to appear in all courts in Virginia or must have passed the July 2026 Bar Exam and awaiting admission into the Bar or eligible for admission into Virginia Bar via reciprocity.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in real estate law
• Experience in eminent domain
• Experience in litigation
• Experience in local government law
• Experience in general code compliance
• Experience in child welfare
• Experience in procurement

Responsibilities

• Provides legal advice to City Council, City departments, and various City boards and commissions.
• Drafts, reviews, and/or approves all major documents for the City, including but not limited to, contracts, leases, settlement agreements, and memorandums of understanding, city policies, change orders, and letters.
• Trains City staff on legal matters.
• Represents the City in employee grievance matters.
• Performs legal research and prepares memorandums of informal opinions, regarding numerous fields of civil law.
• Investigates claims for and against assigned agencies and programs, and makes recommendations for the settlement of claims, as appropriate.
• Prepares cases for trial, interviewing witnesses, negotiating with attorneys, conferring with judicial personnel, locating witnesses and defendants, and investigating incidents.
• Performs case management functions, such as preparing case documents; preparing orders; requesting and responding to subpoenas, discovery, subpoena duces tecum, etc.
• Performs other related duties as required.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level