Director of Legal Affairs - Municipal Affairs Division

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Nature of Work

We are currently seeking to fill the Director of Legal Affairs position in the Municipal Affairs Division of the City Attorney’s Office. Candidates must be licensed and in good standing with the State of Michigan Bar Association. The Director of Legal Affairs will be responsible for the leadership of Assistant City Attorneys and administrative staff. The work will involve management oversight of municipal activities, Board Counsel for various economic and community development boards, advising on a variety of municipal finance mechanisms, provide consultation on statutes impacting municipal operations, as well as advising most City departments within the organization regarding municipal issues that arise.  

This is an advanced professional legal position in which the director of a legal division serves as the lead attorney and primary manager over the daily affairs of a division in the City's Law Department. The position involves the direct management and oversight of legal services specifically as they relate to the respective division's functions (litigation, enforcement and municipal law). It is expected that an employee serving in the director's role over one of these divisions will have complete management responsibilities and serve as the lead attorney for handling legal matters. The director will oversee all cases of the division and ensure that complex legal issues are handled professionally. The position has the responsibility and authority to provide guidance and daily supervision of the operations for the division. Supervisory duties include, but are not limited to, the oversight of the professional legal staff to provide direction in their ability to properly handle cases, projects, legal communications, presentations and other related duties consistent with the Law Department's functions; responsibility for making regular work assignments; administration of employee performance reviews, counseling and coaching guidance when needed; facilitation of employee professional development training opportunities; ensuring that staff implement LEAN initiatives involving the legal services provided by the division. The director is also expected to assist with cost estimates and the department's budgetary process as needed.

This position operates with a great deal of decision-making autonomy and discretion to fulfill these responsibilities. Work is performed under the authority of the City Attorney. Supervision of the position is exercised through periodic meetings and reports to the City Attorney or Deputy City Attorney.

Minimum Training and Experience

• Graduation from law school 
• Possession of a license to practice law in the State of Michigan. 

• Four (4) years of experience in the practice of law, including experience in trial work

• Any equivariant combination of training and experience

• Three (3) years of experience serving in a leadership or management role over professional legal staff. 
• Six (6) years of experience with at least 3 years of municipal law and supervising other attorneys