Data is as of 6/15/2025.
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City of Austin - JOB DESCRIPTION

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Deputy City Attorney

FLSA: Executives/2 EEO Category: (10) Official/Adm
Class Code: 12440 Salary Grade: E00
Approved: May 18, 2011 Last Revised: February 21, 2025

Purpose:
 

Under the direction of the City Attorney, this position reports directly to the City Attorney and assists the City Attorney in managing, planning, and general oversight of the daily operations of the Law Department. This includes assistance in such areas as coordinating the department's role in developing the City Council agenda, monitoring outside counsel contracts, coordinating the City’s response to open records requests, planning and organizing workloads and staff assignments, oversight of the departments budget and business planning process, and development and implementation of office policy.
Duties, Functions and Responsibilities:
  Essential duties and functions, pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include the following. Other related duties may be assigned.
  1. Represents the City in litigation and legal proceedings.
  2. Provides legal advice and counsel to the City Manager, department heads, administrators and other City staff in their official capacities.
  3. Drafts, approves and files legal opinions or objections to each ordinance before Council action.
  4. Reviews and approves all documents, contracts and legal instruments in which the City may have an interest.
  5. Reviews and presents legal opinions to Council and the City staff on municipal activities to ensure compliance with the City Charter.
  6. Negotiates legal problems with interest groups, vendors and customers of the City, the general public and officials of the court.
  7. Attends Council meetings to provide legal advice and to maintain first hand knowledge of policies.
  8. Reads and reviews statutes, legal opinions and other documents to maintain knowledge of local, state and federal legislation and jurisprudence affecting municipal operations, programs and activities.
  9. Prepares and approves resolutions for Council.
  10. Develops and approves legal contracts and agreements.
Responsibilities - Supervisor and/or Leadership Exercised:
 

Responsible for the full range of supervisory activities including selection, training, evaluation, counseling, and recommendation for dismissal.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
  Must possess required knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience and be able to explain and demonstrate, with or without reasonable accommodations, that the essential functions of the job can be performed.
  • Knowledge of civil law, judicial procedure and rules of evidence.
  • Knowledge of principles and methods of legal research.
  • Knowledge of municipal codes and applicable state laws and federal statutes.
  • Knowledge of legal references and limitations.
  • Knowledge of municipal organization and City Manager government.
  • Knowledge of municipal budgeting.
  • Knowledge of personnel evaluation.
  • Skill in analyzing facts, legal commitment and impact, precedent, organizing information and interpreting and applying legal principles to complex legal issues.
  • Skill in preparing and presenting written and oral legal opinions, advice and counsel.
  • Skill in developing and approving policies, contracts, etc.
  • Skill in evaluation of personnel performance.
  • Skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with Council, court officials, attorneys, interest groups, vendors, customers, City employees and the general public.
Minimum Qualifications:
 

Graduation from an accredited law school, plus seven (7) years of experience as an attorney, five (5) years of serving in the State of Texas, two (2) years of which were in an upper management legal capacity.
Licenses and Certifications Required:
 

Admission to the State Bar of Texas.

This description is intended to indicate the kinds of tasks and levels of work difficulty required of the position given this title and shall not be construed as declaring what the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position shall be. It is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of management to assign, direct and control the work of employees under supervision. The listing of duties and responsibilities shall not be held to exclude other duties not mentioned that are of similar kind or level of difficulty.