Legal Consultant IPS

The University of Tennessee Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS) seeks applications for a Legal Consultant. This field position is based out of our Knoxville Johnson City or Chattanooga office but is afforded the flexibility of our alternate work arrangement (AWA) program. MTAS is an agency of the University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service and provides professional and technical consulting services to Tennessee municipalities state government and municipal government-related associations.

This position provides professional advice and technical assistance in the area of municipal law and municipal codes to a broad range of customers and groups including municipalities in the state state agencies the Tennessee Municipal League state legislators and associations of municipal officials.

In addition to providing direct client assistance this position researches develops and maintains timely technical reports and publications on critical issues develops and teaches training courses and assists other consultants in the agency in the performance of individual and team projects.

This position will perform other special project work as assigned by the Legal Consulting & Codes Program Manager or the Executive Director.

This consultant provides:

• professional advice and technical assistance on a wide range of complex issues to municipal Department Directors Mayors City Managers/Administrators and other elected and appointed municipal officials;
• advice and assistance for non-municipal clients including elected and staff members of the Tennessee General Assembly employees of state agencies staff of the Tennessee Municipal League and officers of associations of municipal officials
• oral and written legal opinions document preparation and review and research and analysis on the wide variety of issues that impact municipal governments across the state.

This consultant develops and:

• maintains close working relationships with both elected and appointed city officials for assigned cities; and
• presents educational/training programs for municipal officials and employees presents at conferences and meetings of municipal associations and organizations and serves as subject matter expert for on-line classes and electronic training tools.

Other duties:

• Researching drafting and maintaining publications on critical issues that are geared to various reader levels of sophistication and managerial experience.

• The consultant is expected to maintain an area (or areas) of specialization and serve as the in-house expert to MTAS staff in that area such as municipal codes municipal courts administrative hearings land use personnel law code enforcement taxation and state revenues or zoning.

Required Qualifications

• Education:Doctoral Degree; Doctor of Jurisprudence
• Licensure: Licensed to practice law by a US state or territory. Required to become licensed to practice law in Tennessee within 18 months of hire.
• Experience:A minimum of five (5) years experience in the field of government law or related private law experience is required.
• Knowledge Skills Abilities:
  • Knowledge of municipal law required.
  • Requires practical knowledge of the problems faced by municipal officials.
  • Requires a thorough understanding of Tennessee municipal law and the ability to interpret that law in oral opinions written opinions and in publications.
  • A high level of cognitive or intuitive skills are necessary to fully understand design and implement successful solutions to municipal legal problems.

Outstanding communications skills are necessary for this position. The consultant must provide advice and assistance to municipal officials in the operation of their respective offices and must also possess managerial analytical conceptual and interpersonal skills abilities and talents. These skills and abilities are used on a daily basis in identifying a specific municipalitys problem and providing advice and assistance to solve the problem. This requires the ability to write in a manner where complex legal issues are understandable to someone without a legal background.

This position requires travel and requires constant attention to scheduling and updating of work activities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience:Preference for three years municipal attorney experience municipal government experience experience in a municipality larger than a population of 50000 and/or one-year relevant Tennessee legal experience.
• Knowledge Skills Abilities:Proficient ability to research using Westlaw familiarity with Tennessee Code Annotated and proficient abilities in using Microsoft Office products are preferred.

Work Location:

• Location: Knoxville TN; Johnson City TN; or Chattanooga TN

The Institute for Public Service (IPS) supports a formal Alternative Work Arrangement program currently in place and more information can be provided if candidate progresses through the recruitment process.

Benefits

• Find more information on UT Benefitshere

Application Instructions

To express interest please submit an application with the noted below attachments. To be assured of full consideration completed applications with all requested materials should be submitted on or before March 12 2026.

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• List of 3 Professional References
  

About The College/Department/Division

The UT Institute for Public Service provides outreach and assistance to all of our agencies and initiatives we offer technical assistance training and consulting on a wide variety of services including government operations language services law enforcement excellence leadership training manufacturing excellence opioid abatement and much more.