Attorney II (Litigation)

Salary: $80,002 - $107,848

Position Grade: 17M

Department: City Counselor’s Office

Job Type: Full-Time

Examination Number: EX1588

Location: Downtown - St. Louis, MO

Incumbents in this position handle moderately complex litigation work. The City Counselor’s Office represents the City in many types of civil litigation. Litigation attorney positions are housed in the office’s Litigation Unit, Affirmative Litigation Section and Employment Units.

Work includes preparation of written discovery, motions, and briefs; taking and defending depositions; representing the City in legal proceedings before state and federal courts as well as administrative bodies; and providing legal advice to City departments, Appointing Authorities, and employees or officials.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Performs moderately complex legal research and writing.
• Provides legal advice and representation on a wide variety of legal matters to boards, commissions, officials, departments, and employees under general supervision.
• Handles civil litigation at the trial and appellate levels in both state court and federal court under general supervision.
• Prepares written discovery, takes and defends depositions, and argues motions under general supervision.
• Prepares for trials before judges and juries, argues motions, and participates in all phases of trials.
• Handles other assignments received directly from the Deputy City Counselor or an Attorney Manager.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of the administrative review process as well as civil rights, equity, general tort, and personal injury.
• Data Utilization: Requires the ability to perform mid to upper-level data analysis including the ability to coordinate, strategize, systematize and correlate, using discretion in determining time, place and/or sequence of operations within an organizational framework. Requires the ability to implement decisions based on such data, and overseeing the execution of these decisions.
• Human Interaction: Requires the ability to apply principles of negotiation within the context of legal guidelines.
• Equipment, Machinery, Tools and Materials Use: Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or provide simple but continuous adjustment on equipment, machinery and tools such as a computer, calculator, copy and fax machines, and materials used in performing essential functions.
• Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize reference, descriptive, consulting, design and advisory data and information such as legal briefs and opinions, statutes and ordinances, contracts and legal research material.
• Mathematical Aptitude: Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; ability to calculate percentages and decimals and may use basic algebra.
• Functional Reasoning: Requires the ability to apply principles of logical or synthesis functions involving planning and directing of interrelated activities or multiple departments. Ability to deal with several concrete and abstract variables in working out approaches to major problems.
• Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise the judgment, decisiveness and creativity required in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory, judgmental and/or subjective criteria, as opposed to criteria that are clearly measurable or verifiable.
• Environmental Factors: Work is normally performed in an office environment under generally safe and comfortable conditions where exposure to irate individuals poses a very limited risk of injury.
• Physical Requirements: Tasks require the ability to exert light physical effort in sedentary to light work. Tasks may involve extended periods of visual concentration at a keyboard or workstation.
• Sensory Requirements: Requires the ability to recognize and identify individual characteristics of colors, shapes, and sounds, associated with job-related objects, materials and tasks.

Graduation from a school of law approved by the American Bar Association; current membership in the Missouri Bar in good standing or licensure in another state with eligibility for reciprocity in Missouri; plus one year of legal practice in the area of civil litigation.

Licensure: Documentation of license to practice law must be submitted with the Employment Application or upon request.

Scoring Components and Their Weights
Experience and Training: 100%

May be Subject to:
Background Investigation: Pass/Fail
Medical Examination: Pass/Fail

Documentation of Academic Credentials must be Submitted Upon Request

When completing the Employment History and the Educational/Training History sections of the Employment Application, please be as thorough as possible when describing your education, training and experience relating to this position. Applicants will only receive credit for their experience, training and education as shown on the application. Resumes will not be accepted as a substitute to a fully completed application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Veterans Preference Points

To be eligible for veteran's preference points, the applicant must submit a copy of their DD 214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty with the Employment Application or upon request. The Director of Personnel may, in their discretion, accept alternate documentation.

City Residence Preference Points

City residents who pass an examination for a position in the classified service and do not receive any other preference will receive a five (5) point preference on a scale of 100 points on the exam. An additional one (1) point shall be added to the passing score of City residents who receive any other preference on a scale of 100 points. City residents must have resided in the City for at least one (1) year at the time of filing their application to be eligible for the preference points.

Accommodations

If assistance with the job application is necessary based on a physical impairment, mental impairment, or otherwise, they should reach out to the Office on the Disabled with contact information. This office will not disclose any information that an applicant or employee has a disability or has discussed possible accommodations without the applicant's or employee's prior consent.