Assistant City Solicitor

Position:

Assistant City Solicitor 2

Department:

Legal Department

Grade:

DH-1 Full Range: $116,000 - $162,400

Schedule:

37.5 Hours per week

Monday, Wednesday & Thursday - 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m

Tuesday - 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m

Friday - 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Please use the following link to apply:

https://selfservice.framinghamma.gov/ess/EmploymentOpportunities/JobDetail.aspx?req=26050&sreq=1&form=JOB1&desc=ASSISTANT CITY SOLICITOR

The City of Framingham is currently a 100% onsite work environment.

• Position will remain open until filled.
• Framingham City Hall (The Memorial Building) is located at 150 Concord Street, Framingham, and is accessible by the MBTA Commuter Rail and the MWRTA.
• The City of Framingham offers a robust benefits package and is an eligible employer for the Federal Student Aid Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
• We seek to hire a candidate who shares our commitment to Framingham and values civility, collegiality and working in a coordinated team environment to serve the City of Framingham.
• The City of Framingham is committed to the ongoing pursuit of strategic diversity initiatives that help to position diversity, equity, and inclusion as central to municipality and community-wide excellence in the City of Framingham.
• The City of Framingham is an Affirmative Action Equal Opportunity Employer. 

Position Purpose:

The City of Framingham Legal Department seeks to hire a Massachusetts licensed attorney to join our in-house legal team. Under the supervision of the City Solicitor, the Second Assistant City Solicitor will perform a broad range of municipal legal tasks and assist in representing the City, its elected and appointed officials, employees, Division Heads, Committees and Boards regarding cases, claims, collective bargaining, grievances and arbitrations, labor and employee relations, strategy and organizational goals, employee discipline, conduct and performance matters, policies, procedures, land use and planning, land acquisition and disposition transactions, contracts, legislative matters, and other legal tasks as assigned by the City Solicitor. This is a full-time, benefitted position.

Essential Functions/Primary Duties: The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various type of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

The Assistant City Solicitor 2 is assigned legal work by the City Solicitor. Under the direction and supervision of the City Solicitor, the Assistant City Solicitor 2 will: 

• Assist in representing and advising the City and its elected and appointed officials, employees, Boards, elected and appointed officials, Commissions, and Advisory Teams on legal matters.

• Assist and serve as counsel through all stages of litigation and/or adjudicatory proceedings, including any appeals, including cases, claims, grievances, arbitrations and appeals, appearances at court, administrative hearings and conferences, and draft, serve and file case-related documents, pleadings, correspondence, motions, memoranda, discovery, case and appellate briefs, and assist in cases and claims, from initial investigation and review, to discovery, depositions and motion and motion hearings, through all states of trial and adjudicatory proceedings, and appeals. May be assigned to serve as lead counsel on certain cases.

• Interact and confer with witnesses and expert witnesses’ preparation, including drafting case-related expert pleadings and documents as well as other legal transactions requiring/involving experts.

• Assists as requested by the City Solicitor on labor and employee issues and collective bargaining matters and assists assigned counsel in internal and external investigations, hearings and arbitrations.

• Assist with executive and legislative proposals, policies, initiatives and orders, including legal review, research, analysis, drafting and review.

• Assist with land use matters and draft and review contracts, and perform other contract review, negotiation and preparation.

• Assist with assignments and legal tasks involving various City Boards, Committees, Commissions and Teams including providing legal advice and information as needed.

• Researches and prepares pleadings and filings for cases and opinions.

• Perform investigatory, factual, claims, and other legal research.

• Effectively and proactively communicate with Courts, agencies, organizations, attorneys, municipal employees, city officials, and others.

• Travel as needed relating to legal assignments for the City.

• Assist with Open Meeting Law, Public Records Request, Conflict of Interest, and Licensing matters and trainings.

• Attend and participate in meetings, including evening meetings, as needed or assigned.

• Assist with a variety of other legal tasks and transactions as requested by the City Solicitor.

Position Requirements:

• Juris Doctor Degree Required
• Admission to Massachusetts Bar in good standing
• Admission to United States District Court Bar in good standing
• At least 3 years of practice in law, including trial and appellate experience in the Courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and related procedural and professional rules is preferred
• Experience with labor negotiations and collective bargaining processes and familiarity with labor relations grievance and arbitration agencies and rules is preferred
• Experience with land use, planning and land acquisition and disposition transactions including related statutory and regulatory requirements is preferred
• Excellent writing, social and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work well with others, in-person and as a team in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
• Ability to maintain composure, decorum and confidentiality
• Self-motivated with ability to remain flexible and adaptable with shifting work assignments and tasks
• Ability to work in an electronic environment including computer proficiency in Microsoft programs and applications, Excel, Adobe, PowerPoint, and proficiency with virtual meeting platforms used in public meetings/hearings and Court proceedings (WebEx, Zoom, Google Meets)
• Experience filing in federal and Massachusetts Courts and Agencies, online services and electronic case filings, such as ECF/PACER, DIA, AAA, and efileMA
• Ability to advocate and present well-researched and clearly articulated legal position and analysis
• Proficiency in legal research and online legal research databases
• Satisfactory results of a MA CORI/SORI background check
• Strong communication skills and ability to interact personally with others is required

An equivalent combination of education, training and experience which demonstrates the preferred and required knowledge, skills, aptitude and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job will be considered. If you are a team player and have strong communication and writing skills, and are admitted to practice in Massachusetts with experience handling cases and claims, your application will be considered. 

Supervision Received:

The Assistant City Solicitor 2 works under the direction of the City Solicitor.

Supervisory Responsibility:

The Assistant City Solicitor 2 is not required to supervise other city employees.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the position’s essential functions. 

Physical and Mental Skills: Those attendant to in-person professional services as an attorney in a fast-paced professional law firm environment, and to attend in-person conferences, hearings, meetings, mediations, events, depositions and trials as necessary.

Occupational Risks:

Duties generally do not present occupational risk to the employee. Personal injury could occur, however, through the employee’s failure to properly follow safety precautions or procedures. Examples of injury include bruises from falls, cuts or burns, or muscular strains from lifting or carrying office equipment such as personal computers, servers and/or monitors.