Deputy City Attorney – City of Amarillo, TX
Amarillo sits at the crossroads of America, almost equidistant from both coasts, with over 200,000 residents and covering 103.9 square miles. Amarillo is the 14th largest city in Texas in terms of population. Located in Potter and Randall counties in the Texas Panhandle, it is the county seat of Potter County. The City of Amarillo and the associated region have a quality of life that makes living and working in the area very attractive.
The City of Amarillo enjoys a very healthy governance and political environment. Amarillo is a home-rule municipality and operates under a council-manager form of government. With a team of 10 and an annual budget of over $1.97 million, the City Attorney’s Office provides legal services and support to Amarillo’s wide variety of government operations, including Human Resources, Health, Aviation, Police, Fire, Animal Management and Welfare, Purchasing, Planning and Development Services, Public Works, Building Safety, Finance, Housing, Utilities, Transit, and Parks in addition to all aspects of municipal processes and operations. Staff members are divided into a Criminal Division, encompassing the municipal prosecutor’s office and the police legal advisor housed at the Amarillo Police Department, and a Civil Division focused on all other legal facets related to municipal operations.
Reporting directly to the City Attorney, the Deputy City Attorney provides legal counsel to the City of Amarillo, including representing the City in litigation, rendering legal opinions, consulting on employment matters, prosecuting Class C Misdemeanors, assisting in City collections, drafting policies, and preparing and approving transactional documents, ordinances, and resolutions. The position is responsible for providing written opinions on questions of law pertaining to municipal government, inspecting and passing upon documents and contracts, and consulting with management and department directors to effectively analyze problems, giving prompt, practical legal advice and drafting effective policies and procedures to meet legal requirements. It also confers with fellow attorneys and staff regarding various projects requiring legal analysis, makes professional presentations as needed, and supervises and mentors other department employees.
This position requires a Doctorate of Jurisprudence from an accredited school of law and a license to practice in the State of Texas in good standing or the ability to become licensed within a year of hire. Highly qualified candidates should also have at least seven (7) years of progressive experience in a city attorney’s office, either as city attorney or first deputy in a city of 75,000 or more. Four (4) years of municipal experience and a minimum of four (4) years of moderate to heavy trial experience will also be considered, as will a combination of equivalent experience in a Texas local governmental entity. Three (3) years of experience supervising attorneys in a government setting is preferred. Please note that if a candidate’s requisite experience is in a private law firm that represents cities, their time devoted to municipal practice must have been not less than 50% each month. The selected candidate must also maintain a valid Texas driver’s license throughout their tenure. While residency is not required for this position, the new hire will be asked to live within a 30-minute commute to ensure access during an emergency.
The salary range for this position is $135,000 to $165,000, depending on qualifications and experience. The successful candidate would be eligible to receive a retention incentive following two years of employment and satisfactory performance evaluation(s).
Please apply online: https://www.governmentresource.com/recruitment-employers/open-recruitments/amarillo-tx-deputy-city-attorney
For more information on this position, contact:
Marsha Reed, Senior Vice President
806-789-9641