Logo
City of Mesa, AZ

Utilities Assistant City Attorney I II III

City of Mesa, AZ, Mesa, AZ


Salary: See Position Description

Location : Mesa, AZ

Job Type: Full Time

Job Number: 14965

Department: (H120)City Attorney

Opening Date: 08/16/2024

Description/Duties

First review of applications will be Monday, September 9, 2024.
There is currently one (1) vacancy for the Utilities/Environmental Assignment which will be filled at either the Assistant City Attorney I, II, or III level.

These classifications have been designated as non-classified, non-merit system, at-will positions.

Assistant City Attorney III ($117,126.46 - $166,968.88 annually)

An Assistant City Attorney III performs professional civil municipal legal work involving a wide variety of legal issues, cases, and projects. Depending on assignment, an Assistant City Attorney III's practice area will be in administrative/land use municipal law or litigation. All assignments require excellent writing and legal research skills. All attorneys in this classification generally provide legal advice to clients on major departmental issues and projects. Assistant City Attorney IIIs perform work with independent judgment and discretion. Some assignments may involve specialization or a primary focus (such as land-use planning, public safety, environmental law, public utilities, procurements, human resources, public records law, commercial real estate transactions, or the defense of federal claims); however, employees are expected to assist in a variety of areas as this class is responsible for performing related duties as required.

Administrative and Land Use Municipal Law Units: Administrative and land use unit attorneys must have knowledge about general municipal law impacting the City as they serve as legal counsel to the City Council, City management, and the numerous City departments, boards, and committees. Assigned attorneys are responsible for: providing advanced legal services to the City Council and City management; performing difficult professional and administrative legal work, including the drafting and negotiation of complex agreements, policies, ordinances, and resolutions; representing the City at administrative hearings; and attending meetings as counsel for the various advisory boards and committees. Administrative unit attorneys generally handle matters involving human resources, City-owned facilities, finance, purchasing, public service programs, and public safety. Attorneys assigned to the land use unit work primarily on issues related to the development and use of public and private land, including advising on the construction of buildings and infrastructure, and drafting of complex real estate or land use related legal documents. Responsibilities for the Utilities/Environmental Assignment attorneys include handling legal issues involving environmental and natural resource topics such as water rights; negotiating water leases; liability for environmental contamination; and all legal issues related to water, sewer, gas, and electric utility services.

This class is distinguished from the Assistant City Attorney II class by its responsibility for senior level legal decision-making; responsibility for more complex work, high profile/high exposure cases; specialization in a specific area of the law and the ability to independently perform these duties at the highest technical level of expertise; and working as mentor or lead attorney with less experienced attorneys to assist in their training and development. Employees may progress to this class by noncompetitive promotion upon meeting the specific criteria-based promotion requirements of experience and performance. General direction is received from a Deputy City Attorney, who reviews work through reports and an evaluation of overall results achieved. This class is FLSA exempt-professional.

Assistant City Attorney II ($106,259.71 - $151,478.50 annually)
An Assistant City Attorney II performs professional civil municipal legal work involving a wide variety of legal issues, cases, and projects. Depending on assignment, an Assistant City Attorney II's practice area will be in administrative/land use municipal law or litigation. All assignments require excellent writing and legal research skills. All attorneys in this classification generally provide legal advice to clients on major departmental issues and projects. Assistant City Attorney IIs perform most work with independent judgment and discretion, while more complex or novel issues will be performed with the assistance of a more experienced attorney with progression to handling these duties independently. Some assignments may involve specialization or a primary focus (such as land-use planning, public safety, environmental law, public utilities, procurements, human resources, public records law, commercial real estate transactions, or the defense of federal claims); however, employees are expected to assist in a variety of areas as this class is responsible for performing related duties as required.

Administrative and Land Use Municipal Law Units: Administrative and land use unit attorneys must have knowledge about general municipal law impacting the City as they serve as legal counsel to the City Council, City management, and the numerous City departments, boards, and committees. Assigned attorneys are responsible for: providing advanced legal services to the City Council and City management; performing difficult professional and administrative legal work, including the drafting and negotiation of complex agreements, policies, ordinances, and resolutions; representing the City at administrative hearings; and attending meetings as counsel for the various advisory boards and committees. Administrative unit attorneys generally handle matters involving human resources, City-owned facilities, finance, purchasing, public service programs, and public safety. Attorneys assigned to the land use unit work primarily on issues related to the development and use of public and private land, including advising on the construction of buildings and infrastructure, and drafting of complex real estate or land use related legal documents. Responsibilities for the Utilities/Environmental Assignment attorneys include handling legal issues involving environmental and natural resource topics such as water rights; negotiating water leases; liability for environmental contamination; and all legal issues related to water, sewer, gas, and electric utility services.

Employees in this class may progress by noncompetitive promotion to Assistant City Attorney III upon meeting the specific criteria-based promotion requirements of experience and performance. Work requires considerable exercise of initiative and independent judgement, and general direction is received from a Deputy City Attorney who reviews work through reports and an evaluation of overall results achieved. An Assistant City Attorney II may also receive training or assistance in their job duties from an Assistant City Attorney III. This class is FLSA exempt-professional.
Assistant City Attorney I ($96,371.60 - $137,385.25 annually)

An Assistant City Attorney I performs professional civil municipal legal work involving a wide variety of legal issues, cases, and projects. Depending on assignment, an Assistant City Attorney I's practice area will be in administrative/land use municipal law or litigation. All assignments require excellent writing and legal research skills. All attorneys in this classification generally provide legal advice to clients on major departmental issues and projects. Assistant City Attorney Is work initially with the assistance of a more experienced attorney with progression to handling their duties independently. Some assignments may involve specialization or a primary focus (such as land-use planning, public safety, environmental law, public utilities, procurements, human resources, public records law, commercial real estate transactions, or the defense of federal claims); however, employees are expected to assist in a variety of areas as this class performs related duties as required or assigned.

Administrative and Land Use Municipal Law Units: Administrative and land use unit attorneys must have knowledge about general municipal law impacting the City as they serve as legal counsel to the City Council, City management, and the numerous City departments, boards, and committees. Assigned attorneys are responsible for: providing legal services to the City Council and City management; performing difficult professional and administrative legal work, including the drafting and negotiation of agreements, policies, ordinances, and resolutions; representing the City at administrative hearings; and attending meetings as counsel for the various advisory boards and committees. Administrative unit attorneys generally handle matters involving human resources, City-owned facilities, finance, purchasing, public service programs, and public safety. Attorneys assigned to the land use unit work primarily on issues related to the development and use of public and private land, including advising on the construction of buildings and infrastructure, and drafting of complex real estate or land use related legal documents. Responsibilities for the Utilities/Environmental Assignment attorneys include handling legal issues involving environmental and natural resource topics such as water rights; negotiating water leases; liability for environmental contamination; and all legal issues related to water, sewer, gas, and electric utility services.

An Assistant City Attorney I receives general supervision from a Deputy City Attorney who reviews work through conferences and meetings and by an evaluation of overall results achieved. An Assistant City Attorney I may also receive training or assistance in their job duties from an Assistant City Attorney II or III. Work requires exercise of initiative and independent judgment within established guidelines. Employees in this class may progress by noncompetitive promotion to Assistant City Attorney II upon meeting the specific criteria-based promotion requirements of experience and performance. This class is FLSA exempt-professional.

Please refer to the links below for the full job descriptions and additional information regarding assignments, preferred qualifications, and essential functions.
Qualifications & Requirements

: All employees of the City of Mesa are expected to uphold and exhibit the City's shared employee values of Knowledge, Respect, and Integrity.

Assistant City Attorney III:

Minimum Qualifications Required. Graduation from a school of law, accredited by the American Bar Association, with a Juris Doctor Degree. At least four years of experience in the practice of law.

Special Requirements. Active membership in the Arizona State Bar Association at the time of application.Preferred/Desirable Qualifications. Experience in municipal or public law is highly desirable.

Assistant City Attorney II:

Minimum Qualifications Required. Graduation from a school of law, accredited by the American Bar Association, with a Juris Doctor Degree. At least two years of experience in the practice of law.

Special Requirement. Active membership in the Arizona State Bar Association at the time of application.

Preferred/Desirable Qualification. Experience in municipal or public law is highly desirable.
Assistant City Attorney I:
Minimum Qualifications Required. Graduation from a school of law, accredited by the American Bar Association, with a Juris Doctor Degree.

Special Requirement. Active membership in the Arizona State Bar Association at the time of application.

Preferred/Desirable Qualifications. A strong background in contract drafting is highly desirable and preferred.
Link to Job Description

Assistant City Attorney III:

Assistant City Attorney II:

Assistant City Attorney I:

The mission of the City of Mesa's diversity and inclusion initiative is to "to create opportunities for Mesa's community and City employees to connect and collaborate for an informed, active, and accepting community."

The City of Mesa Attorney's Office seeks to promote a diverse workforce. The mission of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee of the City Attorney's Office is "to support our diverse and talented workforce of individuals in recognizing and embracing the importance of differing cultural perspectives and the benefit they bring to our Office; and to create a workplace where career opportunities are equally accessible to individuals of all backgrounds, and where transparent communication, open dialogue, and varied viewpoints are nurtured and encouraged, to effectively meet the evolving needs of the community we serve."

Learn more about the City of Mesa DEI initiatives here:

A is linked here.

01

Do you have a Juris Doctorate degree from a school of law that is accredited by the American Bar Association? Please detail your education on your application.
  • Yes
  • No


02

How many years of experience do you have in the practice of law? Please detail your experience on your application.
  • None
  • Some but less than 2 years
  • 2 years or more but less than 4 years
  • 4 years or more


03

As of today, do you have an active membership in the Arizona State Bar Association? Please detail your membership information on your application.
  • Yes
  • No


04

How many years of experience do you have in municipal or public law? Please detail your experience on your application.
  • None
  • Some but less than 1 year
  • 1 year or more


05

Please describe your work experience in municipal or public law, including employer(s). Please also detail this experience on your application. If none, type N/A.

Required Question