Assistant Municipal Counselor

Salary Range:
Salary dependent upon the qualifications and experience of the selected applicant.

At the City of Oklahoma City, our Total Rewards package is designed to honor your service, fuel your growth, and support every part of your life. We offer:

• Competitive pay
• An average of $22,000 annually contributed toward your benefits and retirement
• A comprehensive package designed to support your health and wellness, financial security, work-life balance, and personal and professional growth and development

Explore all the ways we invest in you:
City of Oklahoma City Total Rewards

This position is in the Land Use Division of the Office of the Municipal Counselor and reports to the Land Use Division Head. This position requires that the applicant be admitted to practice law in the State of Oklahoma and a member, or eligible for immediate admission to the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma and the United States Courts of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.

An Assistant Municipal Counselor provides legal services and guidance to the City, its officers, and departments to ensure that all City operations are performed in a manner consistent with the requirements of federal, state and City laws and ordinances. Essential job functions include representing the City, its boards and commissions before Federal and State Courts, involving development services and land use matters including issues related to eminent domain, zoning appeals, Board of Adjustment and Planning Commission appeals, and other property related litigation.

Litigation experience, including taking and defending depositions, issuing, and responding to discovery, drafting briefs and trial experience, is beneficial. Drafting ordinances, resolutions, contracts, including real estate documents such as purchase agreements and easements, legal opinions and memorandums, and other documents as required by boards, department heads, City administration and management for review by supervising attorneys and the Municipal Counselor. Attending meetings of boards and commissions in the capacity of legal advisor.

Knowledge of the Oklahoma Open Meetings Act, the Oklahoma Open Records Act, and Robert’s Rules of Order would be beneficial. Providing legal advice to various departments within the City including but not limited to Planning, Development Services, Parks, and Public Works. Knowledge of City ordinances and interpreting their effect on municipal operations, as well as experience in municipal law including zoning and planning law is desirable but not essential.

The Assistant Municipal Counselor serves at the direction of the Municipal Counselor and may be assigned to another division based on the needs of the office.

Honorably discharged veterans of the United States Active Duty Armed Forces, National Guard, and Reserve Forces who are not currently employed full-time by the City of Oklahoma City and who meet the qualifications for the position shall be given preference. To receive preference, veterans must submit verification of honorable discharge from the United States military service (Department of Defense Form DD214 or NGB Form 22) prior to the closing date of the vacancy announcement.

• Admitted, or eligible to be admitted, to practice law in Oklahoma state and federal courts.
• Knowledge of and skill in the application of federal, state and City laws and ordinances.
• Skill in written and verbal communication.
• Skill in critically assessing and organizing a wide variety of information.
• Skill in making oral presentations.
• Skill in Lexis Nexis and the OSCN system.
• Skill in drafting and revising legal and/or other documents on a personal computer.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective, productive, and congenial working relationships with municipal officials, municipal employees, outside agencies, and individuals.

• One City, One Team (Teamwork/Team Oriented) (1) Recognizes, values, and leverages the ideas, opinions, and perspectives of others; (2) participates willingly and effectively as a team lead or team member; (3) builds consensus; fosters team commitment, spirit, pride, and trust; (4) collaborates with others to accomplish goals and objectives and achieve results; (5) expresses facts, ideas, messages, and information (technical and non-technical) to individuals or groups clearly, concisely, accurately, understandably, with honesty, tact, and diplomacy and in a manner that is…