County Attorney (Guilford County)

Guilford County is seeking a highly skilled, strategic, and collaborative County Attorney to lead the County’s legal function during a pivotal time of organizational and community transformation and growth. This is an extraordinary opportunity for a seasoned public sector attorney and proven leader to bring clarity and vision to one of North Carolina’s largest and most dynamic counties. The next County Attorney will serve as a trusted advisor to the Board of Commissioners, County Manager, and department leadership. They will help guide the County through significant growth by advising on key policies, risk management, and strategy decisions to support Guilford’s long-term needs and governance goals.

The County Attorney serves as chief legal counsel to the Board of Commissioners and Department Director for the County Attorney’s Office, which provides comprehensive legal support to all County departments and entities. This includes managing all civil matters involving the County—such as contracts, property transactions, public records, local ordinances, employment, and litigation and ensuring the County’s operations comply with applicable laws and regulations. The County Attorney oversees a highly skilled legal team that includes Deputy and Assistant County Attorneys who specialize in areas such as child welfare, social services, employment, land use, and general government law. The position also provides direct supervision and leadership to the Deputy County Attorneys and administrative staff, guiding case management, courtroom preparation, and professional development across the department.

Reporting directly to the Board of Commissioners and working in close partnership with the County Manager, the County Attorney plays an essential role in strategic decision-making and cross-departmental collaboration. The Attorney will be a core member of the County’s executive team, regularly participating in agenda reviews, department head meetings, and Commissioner sessions to provide proactive counsel and ensure the County’s legal strategy aligns with its operational goals. The new County Attorney will inherit an evolving department committed to excellence.

Priorities

• Build strong relationships and trust with the Board of Commissioners, County Manager, County Clerk, and judiciary by establishing open communication, providing timely and transparent legal counsel, and demonstrating steady, ethical leadership.
• Support the Department of Social Services (DSS) by partnering with the DSS Director and County Manager to address systemic challenges and continue to reduce caseload backlogs.
• Cultivate a strong and cohesive County Attorney’s Office team that partners with the departments they serve.
• Integrate and strengthen the County’s Risk Management function under the Attorney’s Office, ensuring strategic alignment between risk mitigation, legal oversight, and organizational decision-making.
• Serve as a trusted strategic partner to the County Manager and leadership team, proactively identifying potential legal or policy issues, guiding intergovernmental agreements and regional partnerships, and providing clear, solutions-oriented advice that supports the County’s community goals.

The Successful Candidate

The successful Guilford County Attorney will be a highly experienced and trusted legal advisor with the highest standards of integrity, ethics, and professional judgment. They will provide clear, strategic, and solutions-oriented counsel to the Board of Commissioners, County Manager, department heads, and external stakeholders, translating complex legal, policy, and operational issues into actionable guidance.

This individual will have deep knowledge of civil law, judicial procedure, rules of evidence, and County government operations. They will have particular expertise in child welfare and social services law or the ability to rapidly build expertise in these areas. They will understand how to implement public policy effectively while balancing the goals of the Board, County leadership, and community.

A strong leader, the next County Attorney will be skilled at building, developing, and empowering a high-performing legal team, including mentoring deputies and assistants, delegating effectively, and fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and professional growth. They will proactively address workflow, succession, and operational challenges to ensure the department functions efficiently and consistently provides high-quality legal support.

The ideal candidate will be confident, decisive, and unflappable, with excellent political acumen, negotiation skills, and the ability to manage complex, high-stakes situations. They will approach challenges, such as strengthening judicial relationships and guiding DSS operations, with diligence, creativity, and tact, while maintaining impartiality and strong ethical standards.

Finally, the County Attorney will be a proactive partner to the County Manager, Assistant County Managers, and Board of Commissioners, engaging across departments to provide strategic insight, foster trust, and help drive organizational improvement. The successful candidate combines legal expertise, strategic vision, and exceptional interpersonal and leadership skills to advance the County’s mission and serve the community effectively.

Qualifications

Minimum requirements are a J.D. from an accredited school of law and membership in good standing with the North Carolina Bar Association or be eligible to be admitted to the North Carolina Bar after selection. Also required is at least ten (10) years’ experience as an Attorney, with at least five (5) years in the practice of local government law, ideally with a successful track record as a City/County Attorney, Deputy or Assistant City/County Attorney, or experience in a private law firm advising local governments with a full range of services.

Preferred qualifications include well-rounded experience in local government law, including tax/appraisals, public meetings and records, elections, public contracts, procurement, public safety, social services, employment law, land use, management of outside counsel, and litigation. Experience managing staff and working in a setting with a multi-cultural constituency is also preferred.

We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may come from a less traditional background. The County may consider an equivalent combination of knowledge, skills, education, and experience to meet minimum qualifications.

Inside the Organization

Guilford County operates under a Council-Manager form of government, with a nine-member Board of Commissioners appointing a professional County Manager to oversee the County’s operations. The County Manager provides executive leadership, directing and supervising all County offices, departments, and agencies under the general control of the Board. As the Chief Administrator, the County Manager works closely with the Deputy County Manager and two Assistant County Managers. Together, the leadership team prepares and administers the County’s annual budget and capital improvement program, advises the Board on fiscal and policy matters, and ensures the fair and effective implementation of the Board’s policies, laws, and strategic goals.

For Fiscal Year 2025–2026, the County adopted an $847.3 million General Fund budget and employs approximately 3,032 personnel. The budget highlights the Board of Commissioners’ commitment to education, public safety, and essential community services.

Some key funding allocations include:

• Education: $499.3 million allocated to Guilford County Schools (GCS) and Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC). GCS receives $467.6 million, including $282.5 million for operations, supporting the Board of Education’s highest priorities. Funding also covers $87.8 million for existing and planned school debt, $47.3 million for future debt service on the $2.0 bond program, and $50.0 million for capital systems replacements and renovations funded with bond proceeds. GTCC receives $31.7 million, including $19.7 million for operations, $1.55 million for capital needs, and $10.4 million for debt obligations.
• Public Safety and County Services: The budget included restoring capital equipment replacement for public safety functions, and improving emergency medical response capability, by adding 24 positions within Emergency Services to support the addition of four (4) peak demand units. Additional funding supports the Sheriff’s Office real-time crime center, reentry programs for incarcerated residents, and community initiatives such as the Family Justice Center, Camp HOPE, and the Tenant Education Advocacy Mediation (TEAM) program. Eight (8) positions were added to Animal Services to stabilize operations supporting the recently opened animal services center.
• Additional Limited Staffing Additions in Health and Human Services: Twenty-six (26) positions in Social Services Protective Services to support assessments and foster care, eight (8) in the Food and Nutrition Services Program, and three (3) in daycare services.
• Rural Fire Districts and Special Initiatives: Tax rates approved as requested by local fire district boards provide sustainable funding for personnel, equipment, and operational needs. Opioid Settlement Funds continue to be leveraged to address the opioid crisis.

The County is rated Aaa/AAA by Moody’s and S&P, maintains a total fund balance of $334 million, and updated the County’s compensation and total rewards plan in 2023. The County’s tax rate is $0.7305 per $100 of assessed value.

This budget reflects Guilford County’s commitment to providing high-quality, responsive services while strategically investing in its people, infrastructure, and community well-being.

Inside the Department

The Guilford County Attorney’s Office is a full-service internal law firm dedicated to providing proactive, sound, and ethical legal advice and representation to the Board of County Commissioners, the County Manager, and all County departments and related agencies. The office strives to provide outstanding counsel across the full spectrum of local government law, including litigation, constitutional law, contracts, open meetings, public records, purchasing, property tax assessment and collection, budget and financial procedures, and personnel matters. This robust mandate requires the team to serve a variety of clients with offices in both Greensboro and High Point, where the two courts are located.

The Community

Founded in 1771, Guilford County is the third-most populous county in North Carolina. Guilford County was named after Francis North, the first Earl of Guilford, and was formed from parts of Rowan and Orange Counties to centralize government and the Courts of Guilford. The Guilford Courthouse became the location of General Nathanial Greene and Lord Cornwallis’ famous battle, a turning point in the war, and is still reenacted today. Guilford County, part of the beautiful Piedmont Triad area of north-central North Carolina, includes the cities of Greensboro and High Point and several towns and smaller communities. The County historically served as one of the major manufacturing and transportation hubs of the Southeast, most notably for textiles and furniture, and to this day, it has the largest furnishings trade show in the world, the High Point Furniture Market.

With a rich history of anti-slavery activism, Guilford County is a stop on the historic Underground Railroad, a nationally known landmark within the civil rights movement. Abolitionist Levi Coffin noted Guilford College Woods (historically called New Garden Woods) as a refuge for the Underground Railroad, now a protected area. Additionally, historic segregation protests in 1960 happened at the then white-only lunch counter at the Woolworth store in downtown Greensboro. Helping to fuel similar efforts across the nation, the former Woolworth store location is now the site of the International Civil Rights Center and Museum.

The County is home to historical sites and institutions and hosts notable recreational and cultural events such as the John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues Festival, the North Carolina Folk Festival, the Wyndham Championship Golf Tournament, the Greensboro Grasshoppers and High Point Rockers baseball teams, and a variety of collegiate events. The public enjoys multiple regional parks within Guilford County and opportunities for camping, fishing, golfing, and other outdoor recreation activities.

Guilford County residents benefit from strong educational programs. The County is home to many higher educational institutions, including North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, High Point University, Bennett College, Greensboro College, Guilford College, Elon University School of Law, and Guilford Technical Community College. Guilford County Schools is the third-largest school district in North Carolina and serves 70,000 PK-12 students at more than 120 schools with over 10,000 employees.

Guilford’s cities and towns are among the top U.S. cities for their low cost of living, almost 10% below the national average. These areas boast friendly, walkable neighborhoods, vibrant social scenes, plenty of cultural attractions, and a central location perfect for enjoying the abundant opportunities for outdoor recreation. A three-hour drive east brings you to the beautiful North Carolina coast, while a three-hour drive west places you on Mount Mitchell in the magnificent North Carolina mountains, the highest point east of the Mississippi River.

Compensation and Benefits

The expected hiring range is $240,000 – $280,000, depending on qualifications, with excellent benefits. Residency is strongly preferred after appointment. A relocation package and other amenities will be part of the total compensation in an employment agreement.

How to Apply

Applications will be accepted electronically by Raftelis. Applicants complete a brief online form and are prompted to provide a cover letter and resume. The position will be open until filled, with the first review of applications beginning November 25, 2025.

Questions

Please direct questions to Catherine Tuck Parrish at ctuckparrish@raftelis.com and Kelsey Batt at kbatt@raftelis.com.