Deputy City Attorney Litigator job in Tacoma

The Tacoma City Attorney’s Office is seeking an experienced litigation attorney with an interest in public sector law. As a Deputy City Attorney, this position will be in the utilities division of the City Attorney’s Office and will be responsible for litigating civil actions on behalf of Tacoma Public Utilities, which is comprised of Tacoma Power, Tacoma Water and Tacoma Rail. The successful candidate will be responsible for evaluating cases, developing case strategies, preparing cases for trial, appearing in court, filing briefs and pleadings on time both in trial court and the courts of appeal; building relationships with the utilities and City departments and divisions; managing outside counsel, negotiating settlement agreements, and communicating with appointed officials. The successful candidate will be involved in litigation involving tort claims, contract claims, insurance issues, claims under the Public Records Act, employment issues, general utility issues and other matters of public importance. This position will also involve general client advice and drafting legal documents. In addition to this opportunity to join a team that is dedicated to public service, the City Attorney’s Office offers a generous benefit program which includes paid leave benefits, family leave, low cost health benefits, and the opportunity to participate in a defined benefit/pension retirement program.

This is an appointive position reporting to the City Attorney.

Job Responsibilities:
This position will focus primarily on litigation, but will also involve advisory and transactional work. This position requires strong organizational skills and the ability to independently manage a busy, deadline-driven practice. The successful candidate will be responsible for evaluating all cases assigned to this position, assessing potential liability and risk, and developing an appropriate litigation strategy in order to achieve an appropriate outcome. The practice involves all aspects of both affirmative and defensive civil litigation, including a heavy motions practice, significant discovery, trial and appellate work.

The successful applicant must be able to manage highly scrutinized matters of public importance in a fast-paced and ever-changing litigation landscape while meeting the highest professional and ethical standards, and must have the ability to build relationships within the organization, remain informed of new developments in state and federal law, and be adept at communicating with people of diverse ethnic and social backgrounds. Because this is a general litigation position, this position requires the ability to quickly learn and develop strategies regarding a wide variety of substantive areas of the law, and to find creative solutions to a myriad of case and client-related concerns. In addition to its litigation focus, this position will also involve providing client advice in areas such as risk management, insurance coverage, construction contracts and bid protests and preparing and drafting legal documents and instruments such as contracts, agreements, leases, ordinances, resolutions and proposed state legislation.

For more information on the City of Tacoma's benefit package feel free to explore City of Tacoma Benefits.

City of Tacoma Recruitment Information:
One of the primary goals of the City of Tacoma Equity and Empowerment Initiative is that the City of Tacoma workforce reflects the community it serves. We actively work to eliminate racial and other disparities and we welcome candidates with diverse and/or multicultural skill sets and personal experiences. Our goal is for Tacoma to be an inclusive and equitable place to live, work and play.

The Principles that Guide Us:
Tacoma, the City of Destiny, has a workforce of dedicated, talented employees with unique skills and perspectives. We embrace innovation and strive for excellence and community engagement. The principles that guide us, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Equity, speak to the values that we embody as City of Tacoma employees, and represent the core of our work in public service.

Qualifications
An equivalent combination to: graduation from a recognized school of law and three years of increasingly responsible professional experience in municipal laws.
Three years of litigation experience. Demonstrated ability to independently manage litigation in state and federal court. Ability to effectively represent appointed and high-profile clients in prominent matters.
Demonstrated proficiency in research, writing, and communication skills. Effectively complete complex assignments independently and a wide variety of tasks simultaneously. Comfort with novel legal issues and emerging areas of law.
Ability to show commitment to equity, inclusion, and diversity in alignment with the City of Tacoma's Anti-Racist Society and Equity and Empowerment Initiatives.
This position requires membership in good standing with the Washington State Bar Association, or licensure in another state with the ability to waive into Washington upon an offer of employment.
Previous experience as in-house counsel, Assistant Attorney General, or municipal attorney is desirable, as well as experience in insurance law, condemnation or other government-related law.
Selection Process & Supplemental Information
For your application to be accepted you must:

Complete the online City Application
Attach a resume detailing your relevant experience
Attach a cover letter describing your unique interest in the position and applying your relevant experience to the requirements and qualifications of the job, and
Provide a legal writing sample that is less than 10 pages. This can be an excerpt from a larger sample.
The Civil Division of the City Attorney's Office seeks to set salaries based on objective measures of experience. Salaries are not subject to negotiation. Our office is abiding by public health guidelines and maximizing telework arrangements for our employees except for necessary essential in-person work. The selected candidate will work with their direct supervisor on alternatives to meet workload requirements while considering public health guidelines during this time frame.

Communication from the City of Tacoma:
We primarily communicate via e-mail during the application process. E-mails from cityoftacoma.org and/or neogov.com must be placed on your safe domain list to ensure that you receive notifications in a timely manner. As a precaution, you may also want to check your junk e-mail folders.

The online application system requires you to enter a substantial amount of information. Be prepared to spend at least an hour entering information. In order for your application materials to be considered, all information must be submitted by the closing date and time listed on this job announcement.

For assistance with the NEOGOV application process, questions regarding this job announcement, or if you are experiencing complications while applying, please contact the Human Resources office at (253) 591.5400 by 4:00 pm of the closing date of the job announcement. This will allow us to assist you before the job announcement closes.