Assistant Corporation Counsel

The City of Danbury is announcing an opening for the position of Assistant Corporation Counsel

Description of work: The Office of Corporation Counsel seeks an experienced municipal attorney to provide legal advice counsel and other legal services to Danbury municipal government officials and employees. This position involves providing legal advice and counsel to various City departments Boards and Commissions relating to their official duties in all aspects of municipal law. The Office of the Corporation Counsel serves as a key advisor to city officials providing expert legal counsel on issues that impact local government operations and community welfare. This position requires an understanding of municipal law analytical capabilities and communication skills.

The ideal candidate should be able to work independently on a wide range of complex transactional and litigation matters including but not limited to general municipal law general contracts and purchasing land use real estate constitutional law labor and employment law FOIA and ethics.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Primary Function: This is an attorney position under the direction of The Office of the Corporation Counsel. The attorney is expected to exercise independent professional judgment in the performance of work.

General Duties:

• Provide legal consultation representation and assistance to assigned departments and City Council. Prepare advice and opinions for the City in matters requiring interpretation of state or federal laws City Charter ordinances administrative regulations contracts or other legal instruments.
• Support and advise the City Council as required. Prepare draft and review City ordinances and resolutions. Attend City Council meetings ad hoc committee meetings and support and advise the Legislative Assistant as required.
• Perform complex legal research analyze state and federal statutes and regulations in connection with legal opinions. Researches questions of law or administrative regulations.
• Prepare draft all types of ordinances resolutions regulations and legal notices for public hearing and public meetings.
• Prepare draft review and negotiate a wide variety of contracts including but not limited to professional services contracts vendor contracts construction contracts ITrelated contracts and service provider agreements.
• Prepare summons and complaints pleadings discovery responses affidavits subpoenas attend status and settlement conferences serve as trial counsel in civil proceedings and before administrative bodies.
• Provide legal advice and written opinions to various City departments Boards and Commissions relating to their official duties in all aspects of municipal law.
• Advise City officials Department heads and departments with respect to legal matters in a wide variety of areas including but not limited to general municipal law land use and zoning matters real estate matters labor and employment matters health land use and building code enforcement lease and license agreements contracts and construction law.
• Advise boards and commissions with respect to legal matters before the boards and commissions and the legal requirements for public meetings and public hearings.
• Advise City officials Department heads and departments on compliance with the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act.

Specific Duties:

• Contracts Responsibilities include preparing reviewing negotiating and advising on contracts the City of Danbury enters into in the normal course of its operations. Transactions assigned will include land use/ real property matters (e.g. licenses leases easements restrictive covenants deeds purchase and sale agreements land disposition and development agreements eminent domain matters land use issues title matters); construction matters (e.g. architectural engineering and construction contracts); finance matters (i.e. promissory notes mortgages and other security agreements); software as a service (SaaS) IT and data protection agreements; other general contracting matters (e.g. general services and equipment agreements grants etc.; and Support and advise the Citys Purchasing Department and all other departments of the City in connection with bid documents and transactional matters.
• Labor and employment matters employee relations matters grievances collective bargaining interpretation negotiations and union matters. Advise on matters related to labor employment collective bargaining agreements grievances and union issues.
• Land Use Matters Support and advise the Planning & Zoning Department Permit Center Department of Public Works Building Department as required. Prepare draft and review City ordinances Zoning and related Land Use Regulations assist with enforcement. Attend Land Use Commission meetings as required.
• Manage support or liaise on administrative actions or litigation arising out of the above responsibilities.
• Monitor federal state and intergovernmental publications to maintain current in municipal law and state or federal regulatory procedures.

Additional Duties: Assigns work to secretarial and paralegal staff. Receives oral or written direction from the Corporation Counsel or Deputy Corporation Counsel. Plans work according to established or standard procedures. Determines priority of work within assignment. Performs related work as assigned.

Note: The above is illustrative of typical tasks and responsibilities. It is not meant to be allinclusive of every task and responsibility.

Supervised By: Receives general supervision from the Corporation Counsel and Deputy Corporation Counsel. This attorney is accountable to the Corporation Counsel or Deputy Corporation Counsel who will observe review and evaluate work performance.

Minimum Qualifications/Requirements

Education and Experience

• Juris Doctor from an accredited law school and 45 years of relevant municipal law experience.Experience in Employment and Labor law preferred.

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities:

• Thorough knowledge of the state and federal legal system and its procedural requirements.
• Knowledge of the relevant laws of the State of Connecticut and ordinances charter and regulations of the City of Danbury.
• Knowledge of state and federal laws and regulations as they affect City operations.
• Ability to make wellreasoned persuasive legal arguments orally and in writing.
• Ability to analyze laws regulations proposed changes contracts and legal issues to determine their legal impact on the City.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with all City officials subordinates and associates as well as with officials of other agencies and the general public.
• Must have proficiency in using Microsoft Office Suite software programs or equivalent.
• Must have proficiency in legal research databases and tools.
• Strong oral and written communications skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills.
• Ability to balance and prioritize multiple demands and deadlines.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent communication skills; including the ability to communicate clearly and concisely across multiple audiences and partners.
• Ability to work well under pressure with proven experience working on complex international largescale timecritical projects.
• Ability to be flexible and versatile in nature able to take on challenges while maintaining tact and professionalism.

Licenses/Certifications AND/OR Supplemental Information: Membership in good standing to the Connecticut bar. Admission to Federal bar preferred.

Must devote full time to the duties of the office and shall not otherwise engage in the practice of law.

Application Submission:

Qualified applications must be submitted online atwww.danburyct/employment. This position will remain open until filled. EEO/M/F/D/V

ImportantNote: Paper applications will not be accepted.

The application must be completed in its entirety. Omissions false misleading or inaccurate information will result in rejection of the application.

Please contact the Human Resources/Civil Service Department ator if you need assistance or if you have any general questions.

The City of Danbury will not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of sex race color sexual orientation genetic information marital status pregnancy childbirth or related conditions national origin ancestry age veteran status or disability except where it is a bona fide occupational qualification.

We encourage African Americans women Hispanics and other minorities who meet the minimum qualifications to apply. EEO/M/F/D/V

Applicant MUST attach resume and writing sample to submission. Professional references will be required of finalists.

Benefits:

The City of Danbury provides a generous nonunion benefits package including health insurance participation in pension/retirement plan life insurance dental coverage deferred compensation plan vacation holiday and sick time.