Senior Assistant City Attorney

City of Richmond•Richmond, VA

About The Position

The Office of the City Attorney is seeking a full-time, permanent Senior Assistant City Attorney for its Operations and Development Division. The division represents several executive branch agencies, including Economic Development, Housing & Community Development, Planning & Development Review, Public Utilities, and Public Works. It also represents the Economic Development Authority and Greater Richmond Transit Company pursuant to City Council authorization. The division handles matters including real estate transactions, grant agreements, Affordable Housing Trust Fund, CDBG, and HOME loans and grants, and other transactional work. The role provides legal services to the City and may involve researching legal issues; reviewing real estate title issues; negotiating and drafting transactional documents; interpreting laws, rules, and regulations; and overseeing and directing paralegal and legal secretarial staff. The attorney will also protect the City's legal interests and provide legal services, representation, and advice to City officials, employees, and departments. Other assignments may be made as needed. The position is unclassified and serves at the will of the City Attorney. The anticipated annual pay range is $150,000 to $165,000; the selected candidate's salary will depend on experience and qualifications. The position remains open until filled. Applicants must attach or mail a resume and writing sample. The successful candidate must be admitted to and licensed to practice law in Virginia and complete twelve hours of continuing legal education annually.

Requirements

Juris Doctor degree.
At least four years of progressively responsible legal experience; the posting highly prefers seven years of progressively responsible experience in real estate, contracts, housing development, and municipal law.
Admission to the Virginia Bar and a license to practice law in Virginia.
Twelve hours of continuing legal education annually.
Considerable knowledge of relevant subject areas, including real estate transactions, affordable housing development, grant agreements, environmental sustainability, municipal law, and related regulatory and administrative law processes.
Ability to apply legal analysis to practical, technical, administrative, and legal issues in a transactional context.
Experience with transactional work such as contracts and real estate.
Responsiveness to client needs and ability to communicate regularly with internal and external departments as an in-house municipal attorney.
Ability to manage a high-volume workload in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
Ability to work cooperatively with attorneys, staff, and clients and adhere to high standards of ethics and professionalism.
Compliance with additional requirements that may be established by the City of Richmond.

Nice To Haves

Experience representing public bodies and knowledge of open meeting laws.
Familiarity with land use and zoning matters.
Experience with housing development, affordable housing laws, and/or commercial lending.
Experience in real estate, contracts, housing development, and municipal law beyond the minimum qualification.

Responsibilities

Protect the legal interests of the City of Richmond and provide legal services, representation, and advice to City officials, employees, and departments.
Review legal matters and provide appropriate counsel as assigned.
Research legal issues and review real estate title issues.
Negotiate and draft transactional documents, including purchase and sale agreements, deeds, easement agreements, development agreements, loan documents, leases, and licenses.
Interpret applicable laws, rules, and regulations.
Provide oversight and direction to paralegal and legal secretarial staff.
Work independently within a general outline, develop work methods and sequences under general supervision, and collaborate with others as needed.
Undertake other assignments as needed.