ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY I

City of Newport News -
Newport News, VA

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Job Details

9 days ago

Qualifications

Word processing
Writing skills
Word embeddings
Employee relationship building
Windows
Driver's License
Desktop applications
Legal research databases
Productivity software
Bar

Full Job Description

JOB DESC RIPTION

ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY I

CITY ATTORNEY

NEWPORT NEWS, VA

CITY OF OPPORTUNITY

GENERAL STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES:

Provides a limited range of professional legal services to assigned City departments, various boards
and commissions, City Council and Constitutional Officers, other municipal organizations and to staff.
Generally regarded as an entry level position for attorneys having three years of related experience or
less.

WORK BEHAVIORS/RESPONSIBILITIES:

General Counsel Relationships:

Acts as general counsel to specific City departments or other municipal organizations whose
demands for legal services are typically limited in number and complexity.

Litigation:

Litigation of non-complex cases in state courts, typically in courts not of record and occasionally
in courts of record.

Occasionally required to prepare briefs or memoranda for submission to the courts.

Development and application of expertise in civil procedure and the rules of evidence in state
courts.

Subject Matter Expertise:

Development and application of expertise in specific subject matter areas relevant to matters
litigated.

Occasional legal research into further specific applications of basic legal principles.

In Addition:

Demonstration of strong organizational skills required for successful management of large
numbers of cases.

Page 1 of 3 Revised: 10/21/2021

Improvement of knowledge of current developments in relevant areas of the law through
continuing legal education. Satisfaction of annual mandatory continuing legal education
requirements imposed by the Virginia State Bar.

Work is performed with general supervision after an orientation period, and thereafter as
requested or necessary, typically with a more senior attorney specifically assigned to provide
training, guidance and technical assistance.

May assume responsibilities normally assigned to other job ranks depending on demands of the
Office.

May assist with responding to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

May attend and provide legal counsel at various committee, board and commission meetings.

Perform other related duties as assigned by the City Attorney.

PERFORMANCE STANDARD:

Must be a team player who functions successfully in a collaborative work environment and
communicates effectively with other members of the City Attorney’s Office.

Must have the ability to maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, City department
staff, citizens and counsel for third parties in an environment that frequently requires managing
conflicting work demands and meeting tight deadlines.

Employees at all levels are expected to effectively work together to meet the needs of the community
and the organization through work behaviors demonstrating the City’s Values. Employees are also
expected to lead by example and demonstrate the highest level of ethics.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

Basic knowledge of a wide range of legal principles.

Thorough knowledge of methods of legal research, including LexisNexis and Westlaw, and of methods
of investigating background and evidentiary facts, including use of internet resources.

Analytical and organizational skills appropriate to the nature of the work to be performed.

Writing skills appropriate to the nature of the work to be performed.

Verbal communication skills appropriate to the nature of the work to be performed.

Understanding of and use of word processing software and Windows-based computer and software
systems.

Page 2 of 3 Revised: 10/21/2021

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Must be a member of the Virginia State Bar in good standing.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Admitted to the practice of law as an active member in good standing of the Virginia State Bar.

Valid driver’s license and an acceptable background check.

NOTE: This is a statement of representative responsibilities, work behaviors and requirements for the
job. Not all responsibilities and work behaviors are stated. Not all positions covered by the job
description will perform all responsibilities. Employees may be assigned similar or related work and
any other work necessary to accomplish assigned responsibilities. Education and experience are stated
in terms generally required to provide the entry-level knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for the
position. This is an exempt position.

Page 3 of 3 Revised: 10/21/2021

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