Attorney

Civilian Office of Police Accountability

Number of Positions: 1 (Additional vacancies possible pending budget approval)

Starting Salary: $90,144

This position is open to current AFSCME BIDDERS AND the PUBLIC. Only current City employees covered under the City’s Collective Bargaining Agreement with AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY, AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES (AFSCME) - BARGAINING UNIT 1, 3, 4, & 5 are considered BIDDERS and are eligible to bid. Qualified BIDDERS who properly submit a bid application will receive preference over any non-bidders.

BID INSTRUCTIONS: Apply on the bid site: https://chicago.taleo.net/careersection/103/jobsearch.ftl?lang=en AND

• Check the box on your profile titled “Currently employed by the City of Chicago”
• Enter your employee ID (located on your pay stub labeled ‘payee/employee number’)
• Select your correct bargaining unit
  
  

FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS WILL RESULT IN A REJECTED BID APPLICATION.

WORKING WITH THE CIVILIAN OFFICE OF POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY (COPA)

The Mission Of COPA Is To

• provide a just and efficient means to fairly and timely conduct investigations within our jurisdiction.
• determine whether allegations of police misconduct are well-founded.
• identify and address patterns of police misconduct; and
• make policy recommendations to improve the Chicago Police Department, there by reducing incidents of police misconduct.
  
  

Role Summary

This position is with the City’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) and provides legal

counsel in support of the agency’s mission to conduct fair police misconduct investigations and

advises the investigative staff and department management on matters related to the

department’s operations, and performs related duties as required.

Under direction of senior management, the Attorney provides legal counsel to investigators

regarding all substantive issues that arise from the office’s investigations.

Essential Duties

• Provides advice on legal issues related to investigations including issues concerning local, state, and federal laws, statutes, and contracts.
• Provides legal counsel on topics such as: evidence collection, labor and employment including collective bargaining agreements and the employee’s duty to cooperate, and the interpretation and enforcement of statutes and ordinances.
• Advises the Investigators and Supervising Investigators on strategic and legal investigative matters, including investigative techniques and the strength of evidence obtained.
• Writes and edits summary investigative reports.
• Performs legal research; writes and edits legal memoranda on issues related to investigations.
• Prepares affidavits and other documents for criminal, civil or administrative actions.
• Coordinates with outside law enforcement and prosecutorial entities as appropriate.
• Provides training on legal issues as requested by senior management.
• Assists in the development of departmental policies, procedures, and programs, as required
• Performs related duties as required.
  
  

The list of essential duties is not intended to be exhaustive; there may be other duties that are

essential.

Location: 1615 W. Chicago Ave, 4th floor, Chicago, IL 60622

Days: Monday - Friday

Hours: 9:00am to 5:00pm

Salary: $90,144.00/Annually (non-negotiable)

This position is in the Career Service

Minimum Qualifications

Graduation from an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school, plus three (3) years

of work experience in the legal profession as a licensed attorney.

NOTE: You must include a writing sample (10-15 pages in length) as an attachment to your

application. The writing sample must be an original work (either wholly or substantially authored

by you) and must reflect legal reasoning, such as a legal memo, motion to court, legal article, or

research paper.

Licensure, Certification, Or Other Qualifications

Admission to the Illinois Bar (or eligible for admission on motion to the Illinois Bar pursuant to

Illinois Supreme Court Rule 705)

Preference Will Be Given To Candidates Possessing The Following

Previous substantive work experience, at least one (1) year, in one of the following areas:

criminal law, constitutional law, labor law, administrative law, or police oversight.

Selection Requirements

This position requires applicants to complete an interview and to submit a written sample. The

interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of

the position will be selected.

Writing Sample - All Writing samples submitted in consideration for employment must comply

With The Following Criteria

• The sample may either be a professional project report, academic project report, or an official communication related to a professional or academic project or a work-related report or communication
• Each writing sample submitted must be no more than 10-15 pages in length
• Each writing sample must be accompanied by a cover page explaining:
• the sample’s original purpose (e.g., a writing class, a professional project, a memorandum for an employer, etc.).
• when (MM/DD/YYYY) and for whom the sample was written.
• the extent of editing by any third party; AND
• if the writing sample is an excerpt from a larger document, identify that larger document and provide context, if necessary
  

About You

COPA is seeking candidates with a strong focus on the following values:

• Integrity: Maintaining a commitment to honesty, personal responsibility, excellence, and utmost professionalism in the work performed by COPA and in all internal and external interactions. This includes a commitment to identifying and dismantling discriminatory systems and culture within COPA, the Chicago Police Department, and the community.
• Transparency: Promoting the sharing of information about the work of COPA internally and externally in a manner not in conflict with City and COPA policy, such that the public trust in the mission of COPA is established and maintained. This includes a commitment to cultivating a respectful work environment and team building to ensure effective communication that furthers common goals.
• Independence: Conducting the business of COPA in a manner that is objective and free from political or other outside influences, such that the public trust in the mission and work of COPA is established and maintained. This includes a commitment to informed decision making and continual efforts to improves processes and systems to further the mission of COPA.
• Timeliness: Conducting the business of COPA in a manner that promotes timely and fair resolution to all matters.
  
  

Application Evaluation: Initial evaluation will be based on information provided on the

application and the documents submitted. Department of Human Resource staff will review

applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow any and all required Employment/Hiring

Plan provisions, federal, state and local laws, and Collective Bargaining Agreements when

applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an

eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of

Chicago.

Education & Employment Requirements and Verification: You must provide information about

your educational background and work experience including job titles, dates of employment

(month/year), and specific job duties on your resume and/or application as it relates to the

qualifications of the position for which you are applying. ‘Acting Up’ cannot be considered for

current City employees. Please attach all applicable transcripts, diplomas, licenses, and/or

certificates as outlined on the job posting for the position you are applying for. The initial

evaluation will be based on information provided and documents submitted with the application.

Applications must be submitted by the individual applicant. Employment applications lacking the

required documentation will not be considered. For information regarding the required

attachments, please review the description section of the job posting. Please be advised that if

you are selected to be hired you must provide, upon request, adequate information regarding

your educational and employment history. If you have received your degree internationally, you

will be required to provide a Foreign Credential Evaluation. If the City of Chicago cannot verify

this information, any offer extended to you will be withdrawn and you will not be hired.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY: To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse

experience the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075.

The ordinances provide a preference to applicants who meet minimum qualifications and who

are veterans of the Armed Forces, and/or residents of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Areas

(SEDA) and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates to be referred to departments

for consideration. These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders, as Collective Bargaining

Agreements define the hiring process for bidders. For positions covered by a collective bargaining

agreement, bidders will be considered before external candidates. To learn more about our

hiring practices click here.

FAIR CHANCE HIRING EMPLOYER: The City of Chicago is committed to being a Fair Chance Hiring

employer. We value applicants with diverse experiences, including those who have had prior

contact with the criminal legal system. Having a criminal history, including prior incarceration,

arrest(s), and/or conviction(s) does not automatically disqualify you from employment with the

City of Chicago.

If you receive a conditional offer of employment, the City will conduct a background check. The

resulting report will be used to conduct an individualized assessment to determine if the nature

of any prior conviction conflicts with the specific duties and responsibilities of the job for which

you have been selected. If a conflict exists, you will be asked to present any evidence of

rehabilitation that may mitigate the conflict, except when federal or state regulations bar

employment in specific circumstances.

Reasonable Accommodation: If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation due to

disability or pregnancy in order to participate in the application process, please contact the City

of Chicago, Department of Human Resources, at 312-744-4976

or disabilityaccommodations@cityofchicago.org. Please be prepared to provide information in

support of your reasonable accommodation request.

Salary and Benefit Information: For more information regarding compensation with the City of

Chicago, Please Visit

https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/dhr/supp_info/JobClassification/2023_2024_

Classification_and_Pay_Plan.pdf

For More Information Regarding Benefits Please Visit

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fin/benefits-office.html

All references to political sponsorship or recommendations must be omitted from all application

materials submitted for City employment.

The City is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Military Friendly Employer.

Residency Requirement: All employees of the City of Chicago must be actual residents of the City

as outlined in 2-152-050 of the City Chicago Municipal Code. Proof of residency will be required.

All positions with the City of Chicago close promptly at 11:59 pm CDT. Applications for this

position will be accepted from July 11, 2026 until 11:59 pm CDT on August 10, 2026. No

exceptions will be made.

Brandon Johnson, Mayor