Assistant Chief Counsel - Law Department, Civil Division

The City of Phoenix Law Department is comprised of two sections: the City Attorney's Office (Civil Division), which represents the City in civil matters, and the City Prosecutor's Office (Criminal Division), which prosecutes misdemeanor crimes committed in Phoenix. The Civil Division is comprised of six areas: Public Safety, Litigation, Transportation, Human Resources, City Services, and Community Development.

The Civil Division seeks an accomplished attorney and seasoned litigator to serve as Assistant Chief Counsel to manage and direct the Litigation Section. The Assistant Chief Counsel serves within the Office of the City Attorney, operating under the general policies of the City Council and City Manager, and in full compliance with the accepted standards of the legal profession and all applicable ethical rules. In this role, you will supervise, mentor, and develop a team of six attorneys, while serving as the primary legal advisor to the City's Risk Management Division on a broad range of challenging legal issues.

The Litigation Section represents and defends the City and its employees in both state and federal courts, handling a diverse caseload that includes wrongful death, motor vehicle accidents, roadway design and construction, use of force and deprivation of rights, premises liability, and public records requests. The Section also handles special actions and appeals, presents cases to the Claims Committee for potential settlement, and appears before the Phoenix City Council in Executive Session to present cases for legal discussion and consultation.

All attorneys in the Law Department are assigned and may be reassigned based on the best interests of the City, at the discretion of the City Attorney.

This position requires a commitment beyond a standard 40-hour workweek, including evenings, weekends, early morning hours, and holidays, as necessary.

The ideal candidate will bring deep knowledge of municipal government and a proven track record of working with elected officials and department leaders to navigate and resolve complex legal issues.

Pay Range: $136,489.60 - $192,233.60 annually.

Hiring Range: $136,489.60 - $187,238.20 annually.

Pay Range Explanation:

• Pay range is the entire compensation range for the position classification.
• Hiring range is an estimate of where you can receive an offer. The actual salary offer will carefully consider a wide range of factors, including your skills, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, training, and internal equity.
• The City contributes 9% of salary into 457/401(a) plans with no matching required. $6,000/annual car allowance and $1,440/annual cell phone allowance.

Internal Only: Please understand that this is pay grade 848. If selected, your salary offer will be based on the applicable promotion or demotion worksheet in accordance with the City Pay Ordinance.

• Promotions occur when the last two digits of the pay grade increase.
• Demotions occur when the last two digits of the pay grade decrease.
• Lateral transfers occur when there is no change to the last two digits of the pay grade.
• When there is a change in the first digit of the pay grade, there may also be a change to your classification or unit.

Your job classification can be found in eCHRIS > Personal Details under your name, located in the top left section of the page.

The pay grade and classification/unit of your current position may be found by looking up your job title on the job description page.

A comprehensive Executive benefits package is offered which includes:

• for more details: Pension Information
• 401(a) and 457 plans with employer contributions
• Choice of generous medical HMO, PPO, or HSA/HDHP plans
• Medical enrollment includes a monthly $150 City contribution to a Post-Employment Health Plan
• Wellness incentive of up to $720 annually
• Dental, vision, and life insurance options
• Employer paid long-term disability
• Free Bus/light rail pass
• Tuition reimbursement program up to $6,500 per year
• Paid time off includes 13.5 paid holidays, 12 vacation days, and 15 sick days and personal leave days
• Paid Parental Leave for eligible employees up to 480 hours (12 weeks) of paid leave for the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child during a 12-month period
• Federal Student Loan Forgiveness offered through Savi

For more details, visit: Executive Benefits.

• Four years of experience as a practicing civil attorney,
• Including six months of experience in the practice of municipal law.
• Graduation from an accredited school of law.
• Other combinations of experience and education that meet the minimum requirements may be substituted.
• All finalists for positions are subject to a criminal background check applicable to the department or position.
For information regarding pre-screening and driving positions,
• .
• The City job description can be found here.

The minimum qualifications listed above, plus:

• Eight years of experience as a practicing attorney.
• Experience handling and/or overseeing tort litigation.
• Experience handling and/or supervising municipal liability litigation.
• Experience:
  • Conducting and providing litigation risk analyses, including both liability and damages risk.
  • Providing legal counsel to public safety agencies, including police and fire departments, is also highly desirable.
  • Managing legal and other professional personnel.
  • Communicating regularly with high level managers, department heads, and elected officials.

Recruitment closes October 2, 2025. All materials must be received by 11:59 p.m. on this date.

This is a position-based recruitment and will not result in any ongoing eligibility list. This recruitment and any selection processes resulting from this recruitment may be used to fill other related vacancies within the organization now or in the near future.

Apply online by completing the required information and attaching, as one document, your cover letter and resume. Please include your experience as it relates to the qualifications stated above. Only the highest qualified may be posted to the eligible to hire list. The results of the resume screening process will be sent to your primary email address.

• Job interviews may be held by video or audio conference.
If you are in need of computer resources,
• for free options.
Arizona at Work has frequent classes to help with resume writing, interviewing skills, and general career guidance.
• for more information.
• Explore other Employment Opportunities with the City of Phoenix.
• Subscribe to receive e-mail notifications about new employment opportunities.
• If you require assistance at any stage of the application process due to an accessibility issue, please contact the Human Resources Department by phone at (602) 495-5700 or by text at (800) 367-8939. You may also fill out and submit a Reasonable Accommodation Request Form.

Asst Chief Counsel (NC), JC:10210, ID# 59401, 09/18/25, USM, RAL, Benefits: Executive

Building the Phoenix of tomorrow.

#DoWorkThatMakesPhoenixWork

City of Phoenix is an equal opportunity employer. AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other national service alumni who meet the required qualifications are encouraged to apply.