Description
The City of Chicago Law Department is seeking an attorney for the position of Chief Assistant Corporation Counsel ("Chief ACC") in its Employment Litigation Division. The Employment Litigation Division defends the City of Chicago and its officers and employees against allegations of discrimination as well as other civil rights and employment law violations brought by prospective, current and former employees.
The Chief ACC will work under the general supervision of the Deputy Corporation Counsel of the Employment Litigation Division and will be given a high level of responsibility for supervising and handling all phases of complex employment litigation in state and federal court. In addition to maintaining their own case load, the Chief ACC will be responsible for the direct supervision of the attorneys assigned to their cases, as well as identifying and executing opportunities for training clients and attorneys through live-training or webinar. The Chief ACC will have significant responsibility on other matters, including but not limited to: (a) client counseling, risk prevention and risk assessment; (b) interaction and coordination with other Law Department divisions, other City departments, and outside counsel; and (c) attorney and staff training, development, and evaluation.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Ideal candidates will possess:
a minimum of eight (8) years of experience in federal and/or state court employment litigation, of which three (3) years are in a supervisory role or case management capacity related to the responsibilities of the position;
a previous high level of responsibility for handling complex employment litigation in one or more of the following areas: adverse impact claims, class and/or collective actions, and wage and hour claims;
experience conducting jury trials as lead or co-lead counsel, preferably in employment litigation;
experience advising senior management on personnel policies and best practices regarding hiring, promotions, benefits, performance management, compensation, leaves of absence, reasonable accommodations, workplace investigations, anti-discrimination and harassment, discipline, terminations, and workplace safety issues;
in depth knowledge and experience advising clients on compliance with federal, state and local employment laws and best practices, including but not limited to Title VII, ADA, FMLA, FLSA, ADEA and OSHA;
admission to the Federal Trial Bar (or eligible for admission to the Federal Trial Bar pursuant to LR83.11);
experience drafting and updating employment policies and procedures;
experience drafting answers/motions, presenting oral arguments, conducting discovery, and attending settlement conferences and mediation;
experience taking and defending depositions, including expert witnesses;
experience supervising outside counsel and managing outside counsel spend;
the ability to train, supervise, and evaluate subordinate attorneys working on employment litigation cases;
significant negotiation and settlement experience;
exceptional communication, writing, research, and editing skills;
the ability to work well with others;
the ability to manage teams.
Qualifications
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Graduation from an American Bar Association accredited law school with a Juris Doctor degree
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Admission to the Illinois Bar (or eligible for admission on motion to the Illinois Bar pursuant to Illinois Supreme Court Rule 705), good standing with your state Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission
Disclaimer - "Accredited" means any American law school that has passed and maintains the requirements of accreditation by the American Bar Association (www.americanbar.org).
Mandatory Submission Terms
You must submit an online application by August 12, 2026 including the items listed below:
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Cover letter that (1) includes the position title and job number as noted on the posting; and (2) specifically identifies how you meet the minimum qualifications and have the knowledge, skills, and abilities listed below;
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Resume;
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Law school transcript (official or unofficial);
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Two (2) Writing Samples (merge the writing samples prior to uploading); and
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Current printout of your attorney registration status from the Illinois ARDC website at www.iardc.org (or your admitted state bar’s equivalent).
NOTE: Please do not upload or send materials other than those specifically requested above.
NOTE: Failure to submit all materials will result in your application not being considered for the position.
Salary: $133,836 - $187,524 with annual step increase included
Click to view our generous benefits package
For Information on our employees benefits please visit our benefits website at:
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fin/benefits-office.html
For Information on our salary and title structure visit our classifications website at:
https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/dhr/supp_info/JobClassification/2025_Classification_and_Pay_Plan.pdf
NOTE REGARDING PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS: Working for the City of Chicago Department of Law may qualify you for loan forgiveness under the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. For detailed information, visit www.StudentAid.gov/publicservice or contact your federal loan servicer.
NOTE: Application technical issues may be solved through the use of Google Chrome as a browser.
NOTE: Candidates experiencing trouble uploading the required documents to our system may e-mail the documents to:
[email protected]. However, uploading documents directly to your CAREERS applicant profile is our preferred method of receipt.
NOTE: If you have questions, please contact the Department of Human Resources (312-744-4976) or
[email protected].
Selection Requirements
This position requires applicants to complete an interview. The interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position will be selected.
Evaluation
Your initial evaluation will be based on the documents submitted. Applications must be submitted by the individual applicant. No second party applications will be accepted.
NOTE: To be considered for this position you must provide information about your educational background and your work experience. You must include job titles, dates of employment, and specific job duties. (If you are a current City employee, Acting Up cannot be considered.) If you fail to provide this information at the time you submit your application, it will be incomplete, and you will not be considered for this position. There are three ways to provide the information: 1) you may attach a resume; 2) you may paste a resume; or 3) you can complete the online resume fields.
Education & Employment Verification: Please be advised that if you are selected to be hired, you must provide, upon request adequate information regarding your educational and employment history as it relates to the qualifications of the position for which you are applying. If the City of Chicago cannot verify this information, any offer extended to you will be withdrawn and you will not be hired.
Fair Chance Hiring Employer: The City of Chicago is committed to being a Fair Chance Hiring employer. We value applicants with diverse experiences, including those who have had prior contact with the criminal legal system. Having a criminal history, including prior incarceration, arrest(s), and/or conviction(s) does not automatically disqualify you from employment with the City of Chicago.
If you receive a conditional offer of employment, the City will conduct a background check. The resulting report will be used to conduct an individualized assessment to determine if the nature of any prior conviction conflicts with the specific duties and responsibilities of the job for which you have been selected. If a conflict exists, you will be asked to present any evidence of rehabilitation that may mitigate the conflict, except when federal or state regulations bar employment in specific circumstances.
Residency Requirement: All employees of the City of Chicago must be actual residents of the City of Chicago as outlined in 2-152-050 of the City of Chicago Municipal Code. Proof of residency will be required.
Reasonable Accommodation: If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation due to disability or pregnancy in order to participate in the application process, please contact the City of Chicago, Department of Human Resources, at 312-744-4976 or
[email protected]. Please be prepared to provide information in support of your reasonable accommodation request.
THIS POSITION IS EXEMPT FROM THE CAREER SERVICE.
ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ANY AND ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.
The City of Chicago is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Military Friendly Employer. To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075.
City of Chicago
Brandon Johnson
Mayor
