General Counsel

Baltimore City•Cocoa, FL

32d•$98,359 - $157,302•Onsite

About The Position

The City of Baltimore's Office of the City Council President is seeking a General Counsel. This is a non-civil service position responsible for planning and coordinating the legal activities of the City agency in conjunction with the Baltimore City Law Department. The role involves supervising legal and office support work units and receiving executive direction from the head of the assigned City agency. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of municipal law, particularly its relation to state law authority, and possess excellent communication skills to navigate political and policy considerations and advance the Council’s public policy priorities. The work is performed in an office environment with normal working conditions and requires minimal physical exertion.

Requirements

A law degree from an accredited law school.
Five years of experience in trial work, legal writing and/or municipal law and practice before Federal courts.
One year of lead experience assigning and reviewing the work of legal personnel.
Admission to the Bar of the State of Maryland.
In good standing with barring association; able to practice law in the State of Maryland.
Knowledge of pertinent Federal, State and City statutes.
Knowledge of the sources of legal reference and legal research methods.
Knowledge of the principles and practices of law.
Knowledge of court procedures.
Ability to convey complex information, both with and without advance preparation.
Superb written and oral communication skills.
Ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.
Skill in interviewing others.
Skill in negotiating contracts.
Ability to organize, interpret and apply legal principles.
Ability to draft a wide variety of legal documents, including legislation, contracts, and legal memoranda, and legal documents for submission and presentation in court.
Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
Ability to utilize common business software.
General administrative ability.

Nice To Haves

Experience serving a legislative body as counsel.
Familiarity with the legal issues relevant to the Baltimore City Council.
Familiarity with the contractual obligations created at the Board of Estimates.
Familiarity with City Council rules governing the operations of committees and the full body.

Responsibilities

Provide legal advice to the City Council President, all 14 district-level Councilmembers, and their staff on a range of legal issues appropriate for a legislative body.
In collaboration with the Department of Legislative Reference, provide preliminary evaluations of the legal sufficiency of proposed legislation.
Proactively identify opportunities to advise on legal issues that may affect legislation and policy objectives of the City Council.
Maintain confidentiality and attorney-client relationships in effective, independent relationships across the Office of the Council President and 14 district-level Councilmember offices.
Plan, organize, direct and participate in the Council’s legal activities, in coordination with the Baltimore City Law Department, including managing Public Information Act requests as governed by the Maryland Public Information Act.
Confer with the Baltimore City Law Department on legal procedural matters; obtain approvals as required; and participate in trial and appellate matters by researching and providing pertinent documentation.
Oversee and participate in preparing legal opinions, legislation, memoranda of law, contracts, agreements and other legal documents.
Represent the interests of the City Council before legislative and other public bodies and attend meetings of those organizations.
Advise on board governance and parliamentary procedures, as applicable.
Manage the evaluation of contracts and other matters that come before the Board of Estimates and prepare the Council President to chair Board meetings of Estimates meetings.
Manage the internal preparation for Board of Estimates meetings, including but not limited to coordinating expert staff input on discrete, sensitive topics related to agenda items.
Manage, from receipt of request to submission of documents, all Maryland Public Information Act, Freedom of Information Act, Inspector General inquiries, and similarly situated requests for the Council President’s Office and all 14 district-level Councilmember offices.
Manage the administration of the Community Based Organization grant management process, both internal to the Council President’s Office and all 14 district-level Councilmember offices.
Develop, advise Council leadership on and implement procedures for handling legal affairs, procurement, human resources matters, compliance with federal, state and local laws, and City ethics requirements.
Serve as the City Council’s primary custodian of records.
Other duties as assigned by the Executive Leadership Team.