Assistant City Attorney or Senior Assistant City Attorney - Police Legal Advisor

JOB LOCATION

City of Aurora, Colorado

It is an exciting time to work for the City of Aurora, we're growing and looking for dedicated and collaborative individuals to join our team of talented and valued employees. Excellent organizations have a set of principles, or core values, that are used to implement their mission and vision. Those values represent the touchstone for the organization, guiding the decisions of the individuals and the organization. At the City of Aurora, we demonstrate our excellence by modeling the CORE 4 Values of: Integrity, Respect, Professionalism, and Customer Service, and we welcome all who share these values to apply.
 
Why Work for Aurora?

• Make a difference in the lives of real people every day
• Diverse community
• Competitive total compensation package
• Well-Funded General Employees Retirement Plan
• Light rail station minutes away
• On-site fitness center and overall employee well-being programs Internal educational programs to assist with career advancement
• Access to innovation workspaces

PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Assistant City Attorney Civil:

• Hiring range: $105,156.81 - $131,446.01/year
• Full salary range: $105,156.81 - $164,307.51/year

Senior Assistant City Attorney Civil:

• Hiring range: $129,969.62 - $162,462.02/year
• Full salary range: $129,969.62 - $203,077.53/year

The deadline to submit an application for this position is February 2, 2024. However, it is subject to close at any time once a qualified pool of applications is received.

All applications must include a Writing Sample, Resume, and Cover Letter. Any applications received without these items will not be reviewed.

OVERVIEW OF POSITION / DEPARTMENT

The Public Safety Team of the Aurora City Attorney’s Office is seeking a Police Legal Advisor to primarily advise the Aurora Police Department. The Police Legal Advisor reports to the Deputy City Attorney over Public Safety. The position classification will depend on the successful candidate’s qualifications and will either be classified as an Assistant City Attorney or Senior Assistant City Attorney.

Applicants must be licensed to practice law by the Colorado Supreme Court and be in good standing or otherwise be eligible to practice law in Colorado at the time of employment pending licensing. The City Attorney’s Office currently follows a hybrid work structure where employees have some required days in the office (both scheduled and as needed for case-related tasks), but otherwise can work remotely or from the office, based on demands of specific tasks or personal work preferences. Effective the first day of employment, the individuals selected must maintain Colorado residency.

PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Legal Advisement
  • Respond to daily questions from all APD employees on legal issues, often with short deadlines (priority to command staff, but questions can come from all APD employees)
  • Drafts memos and legal opinions on questions presented by officers and employees
  • Provide legal advice to the Discovery and Public Records Unit and Public Information Team regarding records and information disclosure from formal or informal records requests
  • Review Internal Affairs investigations and offer legal advice as needed
  • Regularly review court cases and proposed/passed legislation that touch on and impact policing issues (prepare oral reports or written memos as needed)
  • Assist in responding to Council requests on police-related matters
  • Coordinate with the Consent Decree Monitor and advise PD on compliance
• Court Appearances
  • Review, respond to, and attend hearings on subpoenas for APD records both in municipal and state court
  • Provide legal assistance and representation in court related to any Extreme Risk Protection Order cases (ERPO or “Red Flag” law cases)
  • Coordinate any Criminal Nuisance actions on behalf of the APD to address criminal nuisance properties under the City Code
• Training
  • Prepare and present training classes on police legal issues for the entire Department, including legal classes for the Academy
  • Attend and participate in annual in-service trainings and divisional trainings when requested
• Document review and preparation
  • Assist in drafting, reviewing and approving APD policies (directives), standard operating procedures, and special orders
  • Review and assisting with drafting contracts, Memorandums of Understanding and Intergovernmental Agreements for the APD
  • Prepare resolutions, ordinances, and supporting legislative documentation for the APD to present to City Council for consideration
• Meetings
  • Attend weekly meetings with command staff (Monday mornings and Thursday afternoons), Force Review Board Meetings, Internal Affairs briefings, Policy Committee and other APD meetings as required.
  • Attend City Council Public Safety Committee meetings (during work hours) and, when required, City Council meetings (held on Monday nights)
  • Attend community meetings when requested
• Critical Incidents and Large Scale Events
  • Participate and assist as needed in the days and weeks following critical incidents or crisis situations. PLAs are expected to respond to critical incidents when practical even if they occur outside of work hours.
  • When needed, assist in the planning of police operations, both proactive operations (i.e.: protest planning, large event planning) and enforcement operations

This job description is not designed to cover all activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS & WORKING CONDITIONS

An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that demonstrates the required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be considered.

Education: 

• Graduation from an accredited law school.

Licenses and Certifications Required: 

• Applicants must be licensed to practice by the Colorado Supreme Court and be in good standing or otherwise be eligible to practice law in Colorado at the time of employment pending licensing.

Experience:

            For Assistant City Attorney:

• 3 years of relevant experience as a prosecutor or municipal attorney- Required
• Subject Matter experience with the Fourth Amendment- Required
• Subject matter experience with the Law Enforcement Integrity Act – Preferred
• Subject matter experience with Open Records Law-Preferred
• Prior experience assisting in trial or in evidentiary hearings—Preferred

For Senior Assistant City Attorney:

• 5 years of experience advising Public Safety Agencies– Required
• Subject matter experience with the Law Enforcement Integrity Act - Required
• Subject matter experience with Open Records Laws – Required
• Subject matter experience with labor unions and collective bargaining-Preferred
• Subject matter experience with employment law-Preferred
• Subject matter experience with the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act – Preferred
• Subject matter experience with Colorado Tort Law – Preferred

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of the basic substantive areas of law handled by the section, the ability to conduct legal research, and write briefs
• Knowledge of procedural rules Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure, Rules of Evidence, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, local court rules, and Federal Judicial Practice Standards
• Utilizes knowledge and abilities obtained through law school education and prior legal experience to conduct research, draft legal documents, provide sound advice to City staff, and/or participate in litigation

Skills: 

• Strong interpersonal skills
• Skill in legal research
• Motivation, ability and perseverance
• Teamwork, professionalism, positive attitude
• Skill in the use of windows-based programs
• Skilled in the use of Westlaw legal research platform
• Strong customer service skills

Abilities: 

• Ability to deliver trainings and presentations in an effective and engaging manner
• Demonstrated knowledge of human behavior, and ability to effectively counsel, train, interview, and imbue others with an opinion or understanding of a concept
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, all levels of management including executive staff, citizens, and elected officials
• Handle sensitive and confidential situations with tact and diplomacy
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing
• Creatively solve problems, negotiate, and handle stressful situations in a positive manner

WORKING CONDITIONS

Essential Personnel:

• When a local announcement of emergency or disaster is declared by the city, all City of Aurora employees may be required to work as essential personnel

Physical Demands:

• Sedentary physical work that involves moving no more than 10 pounds at a time

• Frequent hand/eye coordination to operate office equipment
• Frequent speech communication and hearing to maintain communication with employees and citizens.
• Clear vision to read, recording, and interpret information
• Occasional lifting, carrying, walking, and standing
• Occasional pushing, pulling, bending, and stooping.

Work Environment:

• Works primarily in clean, comfortable environment; in an office or courtroom
• The City Attorney’s Office currently follows a hybrid work structure where employees have some required days in the office (both scheduled and as needed for case related tasks), but otherwise can work remotely or from the office, based on demands of specific tasks or personal work preferences. This structure is subject to change, depending on the direction from City Council.
• The City Attorney’s office is a collegial work environment that is committed to providing excellent legal services to its clients, and supporting their efforts to better serve the citizens of the City of Aurora

Equipment Used:

• Uses standard office equipment including personal computers and common office software such as email, internet, Word, Excel, and menu driven databases.
• This position may require the incumbent to use personal equipment (e.g. vehicle, cell phone, tools, etc.) in the course of their employment.

For Veterans preference:  Please show all of your employment history, including military service and related documentation (DD214) on the application.
           
The City of Aurora is an equal opportunity employer.  We are required by state and federal agencies to keep certain statistical records on applicants.  It will not be used in any way to discriminate against you because of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, creed, national origin, disability or military status, gender identity, unless related to a bona fide occupational qualification as defined by the Colorado Civil Rights Commission and the Equal Opportunity Commission.
                                         
Despite the changes in Colorado law, the City of Aurora maintains a drug-free workplace.  A positive test of marijuana is grounds for disqualification and ineligibility for employment with the city for one year or termination once hired.

Drug Testing, Thorough Criminal Background Check, and Employment References:
As a condition of employment, all applicants selected for employment with the City of Aurora must undergo a thorough criminal background check and drug screening. Employment references will be conducted on finalists for City of Aurora vacancies.