City of Cincinnati
CHIEF COUNSEL/GENERAL COUNSEL-GOVERNMENT SECTION CITY SOLICITOR'S OFFICE
City of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, 45208
The City of Cincinnati Solicitor’s Office (Law Department) is seeking an attorney to serve as the Chief Counsel of the General Counsel/Government Section.
The General Counsel/Government Section provides practical legal advice to the City’s elected officials, City Manager, City departments, and City boards and commissions to facilitate the effective delivery of municipal services and implementation of City policies. Attorneys in the division provide legal advice on a wide range of municipal issues, draft legislation, manage public records requests, and provide relevant training to clients on applicable legal topics. Their work involves drafting legislation ranging from routine budget ordinances to new chapters of the Cincinnati Municipal Code; drafting formal legal opinions and providing oral and email advice on a variety of topics; responding to public records requests; and staffing Council committee and board and commission meetings. Common subject matter encountered by attorneys in the Section includes the First Amendment and free speech, municipal home rule authority and preemption, constitutionality of proposed legislation or policies, public records and open meetings, ethics, public health, policing, and various municipal income and excise tax and retirement matters.
The Chief Counsel serves as the supervisor and lead attorney of the General Counsel/Government Section. The Chief Counsel manages an active workload of assignments and guides the work output of the Section, including reviewing the legal research and analysis, legislation, and documents generated by attorneys and staff within the Section. The Chief Counsel also performs a full range of supervisory duties including establishing overall Section policies and practices; ensuring a productive and supportive work environment; setting Section priorities and goals; maintaining administrative documents related to Section work, such as a legislation drafting guide; and drafting employee evaluations.
The ideal candidate will have prior supervisory experience and substantial experience in all aspects of general municipal law, including constitutional law relevant to municipalities, public records, open meetings law, and ethics; Ohio home rule and preemption; statutory drafting and interpretation, including city charters; and relevant laws and regulations. Candidates must possess excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to edit others’ work and provide effective and supportive critiques; creative-yet-practical legal thinking; sound judgment, discretion, adaptability, and self-awareness; and be able to work independently and efficiently in prioritizing and performing assigned responsibilities. Excellent drafting, research, communication, project management, and interpersonal skills are required. Successful candidates will have a demonstrated commitment to public service and understanding of government operations.
Candidates should possess a minimum of seven years relevant legal experience and must be licensed in Ohio. The City of Cincinnati is an equal opportunity employer. The salary for the position will be competitive commensurate with experience and skill set.
For inquiries, please contact Lisa Kunz, Law Department, Room 214, City Hall, 801 Plum Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202, Lisa.Kunz@cincinnati-oh.gov
Knowledge of:Principles and practices of general municipal law and constitutional law relevant to local governments and cities in particular.Pertinent federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations and their past applications.Organization, duties, powers, limitations, and authority of local governments, including methods of public administration and supervision.Awareness of the organization, duties, powers, authority, policies, and procedures of both the City Solicitor's office in general and the General Counsel/Government Section.Methods and techniques of legal research.Ethical standards as applied to the City Solicitor’s Office and public employees in Ohio.Ability to:
Lead and motivate personnel within the Section.Work collaboratively and congenially and develop strong working relationships within the office and the broader municipal corporation.Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing, with non-lawyers, and distill substantive legal issues for non-lawyers in a concise and effective manner.Train non-lawyers on laws applicable to their role with the City.Organize, interpret, and apply legal principles and knowledge to complex legal problems.Prepare clear, concise, and effective legal position papers, opinions, and legislation.Practice effective time management and resource prioritization.Research legal issues through LexisNexis and other available applications.Interact with elected officials, City administration, community stakeholders, and the general public.EXAMPLES OF WORK PERFORMED:Specific:Review and draft municipal ordinances implementing new policies and amending existing Municipal Code sections.Review and draft legal opinions, memoranda, rules and regulations, and other documentation related to a variety of municipal issues, including those related to the City’s boards and commissions.Interact regularly with City decision makers, elected officials, and community stakeholders in connection with all aspects of municipal work.Draft complex legal opinions and provide timely guidance to City clients on a wide variety of municipal issues.Effectively supervise attorneys and prioritize the use of Section resources in providing the above-described legal services for the City.General:
Supervise, lead, and support attorneys and staff within the Section.Research legal questions and evaluate the impact on City policies and procedures.Provide legal guidance and written legal opinions to City departments and other City clients.Advise the Solicitor and Deputy Solicitor on all relevant work of the Section.Coordinate office activities with those of other departments, outside agencies, and organizations; provide necessary assistance to the City Solicitor; prepare and present reports and other office correspondence.Review legal publications to remain current on relevant legal issues and cases; attend seminars to keep abreast of new legal developments.Prepare various legal opinions, memoranda, and correspondence.Respond to citizen complaints.Represent the City Solicitor’s Office at a variety of City boards and commissions; attend and participate in professional groups and committees.Perform related supervisory duties and responsibilities as required.Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited academic institution.Licensed to practice law in the State of Ohio.DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:Prior supervisory experience of attorneys in a legal or related field.Experience working within or closely with a governmental organization or other complex organization.Strong written analytical skill and ability to help other attorneys issue-spot and improve their written work product.Environmental Conditions:
Work in an office setting plus occasional remote work; exposure to computer screens; need to work closely with others.Physical Conditions:
Duties require maintaining physical condition necessary for standing or sitting for prolonged periods of time.#J-18808-Ljbffr
The General Counsel/Government Section provides practical legal advice to the City’s elected officials, City Manager, City departments, and City boards and commissions to facilitate the effective delivery of municipal services and implementation of City policies. Attorneys in the division provide legal advice on a wide range of municipal issues, draft legislation, manage public records requests, and provide relevant training to clients on applicable legal topics. Their work involves drafting legislation ranging from routine budget ordinances to new chapters of the Cincinnati Municipal Code; drafting formal legal opinions and providing oral and email advice on a variety of topics; responding to public records requests; and staffing Council committee and board and commission meetings. Common subject matter encountered by attorneys in the Section includes the First Amendment and free speech, municipal home rule authority and preemption, constitutionality of proposed legislation or policies, public records and open meetings, ethics, public health, policing, and various municipal income and excise tax and retirement matters.
The Chief Counsel serves as the supervisor and lead attorney of the General Counsel/Government Section. The Chief Counsel manages an active workload of assignments and guides the work output of the Section, including reviewing the legal research and analysis, legislation, and documents generated by attorneys and staff within the Section. The Chief Counsel also performs a full range of supervisory duties including establishing overall Section policies and practices; ensuring a productive and supportive work environment; setting Section priorities and goals; maintaining administrative documents related to Section work, such as a legislation drafting guide; and drafting employee evaluations.
The ideal candidate will have prior supervisory experience and substantial experience in all aspects of general municipal law, including constitutional law relevant to municipalities, public records, open meetings law, and ethics; Ohio home rule and preemption; statutory drafting and interpretation, including city charters; and relevant laws and regulations. Candidates must possess excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to edit others’ work and provide effective and supportive critiques; creative-yet-practical legal thinking; sound judgment, discretion, adaptability, and self-awareness; and be able to work independently and efficiently in prioritizing and performing assigned responsibilities. Excellent drafting, research, communication, project management, and interpersonal skills are required. Successful candidates will have a demonstrated commitment to public service and understanding of government operations.
Candidates should possess a minimum of seven years relevant legal experience and must be licensed in Ohio. The City of Cincinnati is an equal opportunity employer. The salary for the position will be competitive commensurate with experience and skill set.
For inquiries, please contact Lisa Kunz, Law Department, Room 214, City Hall, 801 Plum Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202, Lisa.Kunz@cincinnati-oh.gov
Knowledge of:Principles and practices of general municipal law and constitutional law relevant to local governments and cities in particular.Pertinent federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations and their past applications.Organization, duties, powers, limitations, and authority of local governments, including methods of public administration and supervision.Awareness of the organization, duties, powers, authority, policies, and procedures of both the City Solicitor's office in general and the General Counsel/Government Section.Methods and techniques of legal research.Ethical standards as applied to the City Solicitor’s Office and public employees in Ohio.Ability to:
Lead and motivate personnel within the Section.Work collaboratively and congenially and develop strong working relationships within the office and the broader municipal corporation.Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing, with non-lawyers, and distill substantive legal issues for non-lawyers in a concise and effective manner.Train non-lawyers on laws applicable to their role with the City.Organize, interpret, and apply legal principles and knowledge to complex legal problems.Prepare clear, concise, and effective legal position papers, opinions, and legislation.Practice effective time management and resource prioritization.Research legal issues through LexisNexis and other available applications.Interact with elected officials, City administration, community stakeholders, and the general public.EXAMPLES OF WORK PERFORMED:Specific:Review and draft municipal ordinances implementing new policies and amending existing Municipal Code sections.Review and draft legal opinions, memoranda, rules and regulations, and other documentation related to a variety of municipal issues, including those related to the City’s boards and commissions.Interact regularly with City decision makers, elected officials, and community stakeholders in connection with all aspects of municipal work.Draft complex legal opinions and provide timely guidance to City clients on a wide variety of municipal issues.Effectively supervise attorneys and prioritize the use of Section resources in providing the above-described legal services for the City.General:
Supervise, lead, and support attorneys and staff within the Section.Research legal questions and evaluate the impact on City policies and procedures.Provide legal guidance and written legal opinions to City departments and other City clients.Advise the Solicitor and Deputy Solicitor on all relevant work of the Section.Coordinate office activities with those of other departments, outside agencies, and organizations; provide necessary assistance to the City Solicitor; prepare and present reports and other office correspondence.Review legal publications to remain current on relevant legal issues and cases; attend seminars to keep abreast of new legal developments.Prepare various legal opinions, memoranda, and correspondence.Respond to citizen complaints.Represent the City Solicitor’s Office at a variety of City boards and commissions; attend and participate in professional groups and committees.Perform related supervisory duties and responsibilities as required.Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited academic institution.Licensed to practice law in the State of Ohio.DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:Prior supervisory experience of attorneys in a legal or related field.Experience working within or closely with a governmental organization or other complex organization.Strong written analytical skill and ability to help other attorneys issue-spot and improve their written work product.Environmental Conditions:
Work in an office setting plus occasional remote work; exposure to computer screens; need to work closely with others.Physical Conditions:
Duties require maintaining physical condition necessary for standing or sitting for prolonged periods of time.#J-18808-Ljbffr