Description:
Position Summary:This position will be responsible for handling a broad range of legal matters involving local government and special district law. Special districts are a form of Colorado local government that provide governmental services and public infrastructure similar to counties and municipalities. While a specialized area of law, this work requires a strong understanding of many different areas, including non-partisan elections, public financing, public construction, contracting, general real estate, water and sewer regulations, open meetings and open records, and dispute resolution. The work involves research, writing, and applying legal knowledge and skills to various municipal and special district matters.
Essential Duties, Functions and Responsibilities:
- Prepare correspondence and legal documents, such as contracts, policies and procedures, agreements, legal memoranda, resolutions, and court documents.
- Attendance at client meetings (may include evening meetings at locations along the front range or mountains), hearings in front of other local governments, and infrequent court appearances.
- Conduct legal research and review legal documents for legal sufficiency and potential legal implications. Review and interpret charters, codes, ordinances, resolutions, and polices to ensure compliance with the law.
- Communicate with partners, paralegals, and clients.
- Timely maintenance of client files, management of deadlines.
- Ability to lead client matters to resolution; coordination with other consultants to achieve client goals.
Qualifications/Skills:
- Legal Research, Writing, and Editing Skills: Perform legal research and draft legal documents (contracts, memorandums, ordinances, resolutions, etc.) that are clear, logical, and concise with minimal errors and appropriate for the given audience.
- Excellent People and Communication Skills: Interacting and communicating in writing, verbally, and in-person with clients, professional consultants, other attorneys, and members of local government councils, boards of directors and professional staff.
- Competent Computer Skills: Ability to learn document management, billing, and other software programs for the purpose of drafting, editing, and sharing documents; sending and receiving documents; recording billed time; and interfacing with internal staff and clients.
- Strong Critical Thinking Skills: Problem solving, following instructions, analytical thinking, demonstrating good judgment, and asking questions when necessary.
- Team Player: Work cooperatively and collaboratively with colleagues and clients to answer questions, provide legal advice, and solve problems. Active listening skills are critical to our collaborative approach.
- Highly Organized: detailed oriented, and self-motivated.
Education, Experience, Certifications:
- Licensed to practice law in Colorado (for new attorneys taking the Bar Exam in 2024, top 50% of law school class).
- Graduation from an accredited law school with a Juris Doctorate degree.
- Zero to five years of experience as a practicing attorney with a general knowledge of municipal, local government and special districts law, real property, contracts, public utilities operations or regulation, employment law, risk management, legislation, and public finance, and/or prior experience as a judicial law clerk.
