Description:
The Opportunity:A Government Entity offers an exceptional opportunity for a seasoned legal professional to step into the role of City Attorney and Chief Legal Advisor. This position is not just about managing legal affairs; it's about being a strategic partner in shaping the future of a rapidly growing city. As Waco continues to experience significant economic development, the City Attorney will play a crucial role in guiding the City Council and City Manager's team through complex legal landscapes, ensuring that decisions are informed, risks are assessed, and opportunities are maximized.
The City Attorney we seek brings a forward-thinking philosophy to the table—one that emphasizes making well-considered recommendations while transparently outlining the options and associated risks for each scenario. This approach is vital in a dynamic environment where the City Council must make decisions that balance innovation with prudence. Your ability to provide clear, actionable legal guidance will empower city leaders to move confidently toward their goals, knowing they have a trusted advisor who has thoroughly evaluated the legal implications of their actions.
As an integral member of the City Manager's team and a key advisor to the City Council, you will be at the forefront of initiatives that drive Waco's economic growth. Your expertise will support a humming economic development team, ensuring that the city's ventures are legally sound and strategically advantageous. This collaborative role requires not only legal acumen but also the ability to build strong relationships across various departments and with external stakeholders.
Leading a dedicated legal department of 10 professionals, you will oversee a team that includes a Deputy City Attorney, a Senior Assistant City Attorney, five Assistant City Attorneys, a Paralegal, and two Legal Secretaries. The department operates with attorneys assigned to specific city departments, providing comprehensive legal services tailored to each area's needs—except for employment law matters, which are centralized under one attorney. Additionally, certain attorneys specialize in open records requests, municipal court prosecution, and litigation support, ensuring focused expertise in these critical areas. The City Attorney will also oversee and manage outside counsel hired to support the City Attorneys Office, Council, or the City.
What sets this opportunity apart are the unique services provided by the legal department. Unlike many municipal legal teams, Waco's City Attorney's Office extends its expertise to the Cameron Park Zoo—a city-run establishment—and the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District, a function typically managed at the county level. This breadth of responsibility offers a diverse and enriching professional experience, allowing you to engage with a wide array of legal issues beyond the conventional scope of municipal law.
In joining the City of Waco, you become part of a community that values innovation, collaboration, and proactive leadership. The role of City Attorney is more than a job; it's a chance to make a lasting impact on a city poised for continued success. If you are a legal professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment, appreciates the importance of strategic foresight, and is eager to contribute to a vibrant community, we invite you to consider this remarkable opportunity.
Job Duties:
Key Responsibilities:
Leadership and Management
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Essential duties include:
The ideal candidate:
The ideal candidate is a seasoned attorney who embodies a range of traits and experiences essential for success in this role. Adaptable and nimble, they quickly adjust to the fast-paced environment of Waco, where initiatives evolve rapidly from concept to implementation. With an innovative mindset, they bring fresh perspectives and creative solutions to support the city's dynamic growth and development.
As a wise counsel, the ideal candidate provides thoughtful and strategic legal advice to the City, enabling informed decision-making while safeguarding the city's interests. They are skilled at identifying and mitigating risks, ensuring legal compliance, and effectively "covering all bases" for the city; however, they think strategically and are creative in being able to get to a “yes” mindset. Demonstrating a strong leadership presence, they lead by example, supporting and guiding the legal team while carrying out their responsibilities with professionalism.
Cultural fit is crucial; the ideal candidate aligns with the values and culture of the City Council and City Manager's team, fostering positive relationships. They possess transactional expertise, experienced in handling transactions that support a vibrant economic development team. Personable and approachable, they are likable and relatable, able to build rapport with a wide range of individuals and be a welcome presence in any setting.
Possessing a good sense of humor, they enhance team dynamics and stakeholder interactions. As a clear communicator, they explain legal risks and options in plain language, ensuring understanding across all levels. With a strategic viewpoint, they look beyond immediate issues to anticipate future challenges and opportunities, providing strategic legal guidance.
The selected candidate will have a deep understanding of city operations, state and federal laws affecting Texas municipalities, le
- Lead the Legal Department: Oversee a team comprising a Deputy City Attorney, Senior Assistant City Attorney, five Assistant City Attorneys, a Paralegal, and two Legal Secretaries.
- Strategic Planning: Plan, direct, review, and evaluate the staff and functions of the City Attorney's Office (CAO), including civil and criminal legal work, contracts, risk management, and legal documentation.
- Departmental Assignments: Assign attorneys to specific city departments, ensuring comprehensive legal services are provided, except for employment law issues handled by a designated attorney.
- Legal Advocacy: Represent or supervise representation of the City in all legal matters, including civil and criminal cases before judicial and quasi-judicial bodies, state and federal agencies, and during mediations and arbitrations.
- Municipal Prosecution: Act as a prosecutor in Municipal Court for violations of City ordinances and Class C misdemeanors.
- Litigation Support: Provide or oversee litigation support for the City in various legal proceedings.
- Drafting and Reviewing Documents: Review and draft resolutions, ordinances, contracts, agreements, deeds, and other legal documents involving the City.
- Risk Management: Advise on risk management strategies and ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
- Open Records and Employment Law: Oversee responses to open records requests and provide guidance on employment law issues through the designated attorney.
- Council and Management Support: Provide timely legal assistance and advice to the City Council, Boards, Commissions, City Management, and employees.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
- Plain Language Communication: Clearly communicate legal risks and recommendations in understandable terms.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Legal Expertise: Extensive knowledge of federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and ordinances applicable to municipal government.
- Analytical Skills: Strong ability to analyze complex legal issues and provide sound legal advice.
- Communication Skills: Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to present legal concepts clearly.
- Interpersonal Skills: Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively with diverse groups.
- Strategic Thinking: Ability to anticipate legal issues and implications, providing forward-thinking solutions.
- Innovative Approach: Willingness to bring innovative ideas to address legal challenges.
- Recognizing, assessing, and analyzing potential liability and complex legal issues and keeping the City Council, City management and staff informed.
- Formulating strategies and effective solutions for legal issues, minimizing risk, and safeguarding the City's operations.
- Managing civil and criminal proceedings as well as the work of department employees and contracted legal professionals.
- Developing, rendering, and reviewing verbal and written opinions, legal positions, and ordinances for the City.
- Negotiating, drafting, and reviewing contracts.
- Developing and evaluating budget requests, monitoring expenditures, adjusting as necessary, and reporting budget information.
- Managing department staff, prioritizing projects, evaluating performance and resolving workload and technical issues while ensuring that quality standards are met, and appropriate services are provided to support the work of all City departments.
- Performing legal research and monitoring changes in state and federal regulations, standards, and legislation governing municipalities.
- Responding after hours, including holidays and weekends, as needed, during departmental or citywide emergencies.
The ideal candidate:
The ideal candidate is a seasoned attorney who embodies a range of traits and experiences essential for success in this role. Adaptable and nimble, they quickly adjust to the fast-paced environment of Waco, where initiatives evolve rapidly from concept to implementation. With an innovative mindset, they bring fresh perspectives and creative solutions to support the city's dynamic growth and development.
As a wise counsel, the ideal candidate provides thoughtful and strategic legal advice to the City, enabling informed decision-making while safeguarding the city's interests. They are skilled at identifying and mitigating risks, ensuring legal compliance, and effectively "covering all bases" for the city; however, they think strategically and are creative in being able to get to a “yes” mindset. Demonstrating a strong leadership presence, they lead by example, supporting and guiding the legal team while carrying out their responsibilities with professionalism.
Cultural fit is crucial; the ideal candidate aligns with the values and culture of the City Council and City Manager's team, fostering positive relationships. They possess transactional expertise, experienced in handling transactions that support a vibrant economic development team. Personable and approachable, they are likable and relatable, able to build rapport with a wide range of individuals and be a welcome presence in any setting.
Possessing a good sense of humor, they enhance team dynamics and stakeholder interactions. As a clear communicator, they explain legal risks and options in plain language, ensuring understanding across all levels. With a strategic viewpoint, they look beyond immediate issues to anticipate future challenges and opportunities, providing strategic legal guidance.
The selected candidate will have a deep understanding of city operations, state and federal laws affecting Texas municipalities, le