Assistant Corporation Counsel III, Appeals Division

The City of Chicago's Law Department is seeking an attorney for the position of Assistant Corporation Counsel III in its Appeals Division. The Appeals Division handles all appellate matters for the City and appears in the Illinois Appellate Court, Illinois Supreme Court, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, U.S. Supreme Court, and occasionally other courts. Attorneys in this Division are responsible for briefing and, with rare exceptions, arguing their own cases. Typical staffing for a case on appeal is one Assistant Corporation Counsel, as well as the Deputy Corporation Counsel and Chief Assistant Corporation Counsel. Division attorneys also provide advice to the trial divisions on appellate issues and, at times, on legal issues with which the Division has considerable experience. Appeals attorneys generally do not specialize in a particular subject matter but handle the full range of appellate issues, including labor and employment, torts, civil rights, tax and revenue, regulation, issues arising under ordinances and statutes, administrative review, and other cases involving city government and programs.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Ideal candidates will possess the following:

* Minimum one year legal experience as practicing attorney;

* Involvement in at least one of the following activities in law school: moot court, law review, law journal, appellate clinic, or judicial externship or internship;

* Superior academic achievement in law school, as reflected by measures such as grade- point average, class rank, honors, or rigor of the school;

* After law school, at least a one-year appellate clerkship or research position with an appellate court, or primary responsibility for drafting at least two appellate briefs in CIVIL appeals

* Ability to research and analyze complex issues;

* Organized and clear writing;

* Strong oral communication;

* Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with colleagues and supervisors; and

* Strong commitment to public service and some familiarity with municipal issues or related experience in subject matters frequently litigated in the Appeals Division, like civil rights, federal and state constitutional law, preemption, administrative review.

Application Process and Materials

You must submit an on-line application along with your resume and following materials here on this site by May 2, 2024:

* Cover letter that (1) includes the position title and job number as noted on the posting; and (2) specifically identifies how you meet the minimum qualifications and have the knowledge, skills, and abilities listed below;

* Resume;

* Law school transcript (official or unofficial);

* One writing sample; and

* Current printout of your attorney registration status from the Illinois ARDC website at www.iardc.org (or your admitted state bar's equivalent).

Failure to submit all materials will result in your application not being considered for the position.

NOTE: Candidates experiencing trouble uploading the required documents to our system may e-mail the documents to: DOL.applications@cityofchicago.org. However, uploading documents directly to your CAREERS applicant profile is our preferred method of receipt.

Qualifications

Graduation from an American Bar Association accredited law school with a Juris Doctor degree and admission to the Illinois Bar (or eligible for admission on motion to the Illinois Bar pursuant to Illinois Supreme Court Rule 705).

Disclaimer - "Accredited" means any American law school that has passed and maintains the requirements of accreditation by the American Bar Association ().

NOTE REGARDING PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS: Working for the City of Chicago Department of Law may qualify you for loan forgiveness under the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. For detailed information, visit www.StudentAid.gov/publicservice or contact your federal loan servicer.

NOTE REGARDING REFERENCES AND ADDITIONAL MATERIALS: Please do not submit references with your hard copy materials, but they can be provided through the online system. Please do not send to us any materials other than those we have specifically requested above. Submission of references and/or additional materials other than what is specifically requested above shall result in your application not being considered for the position.

NOTE REGARDING QUESTIONS: If you have any questions regarding how to apply, please contact the Department of Human Resources. Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted. Thank you for your interest in the City of Chicago Department of Law.

THIS POSITION IS EXEMPT FROM THE CAREER SERVICE.

NOTE: To be considered for this position you must provide information about your educational background and your work experience. You must include job titles, dates of employment, and specific job duties. (If you are a current City employee, Acting Up cannot be considered.) If you fail to provide this information at the time you submit your application, it will be incomplete, and you will not be considered for this position. There are three ways to provide the information: 1) you may attach a resume; 2) you may paste a resume; or 3) you can complete the online resume fields.

Education & Employment Verification - Please be advised that if you are selected to be hired, you must provide, upon request, adequate information regarding your educational and employment history as it relates to the qualifications of the position for which you are applying. If the City of Chicago cannot verify this information, any offer extended to you will be withdrawn and you will not be hired.

Selection Requirements

This position requires applicants to complete an interview. The interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position will be selected.

Evaluation: Your initial evaluation will be based on the documents submitted. Applications must be submitted by the individual applicant. No second party applications will be accepted.

Residency Requirement: All employees of the City of Chicago must be actual residents of the City of Chicago as outlined in 2-152-050 of the City of Chicago Municipal Code. Proof of residency will be required.

If you would like to request reasonable accommodation due to disability or pregnancy in order to participate in the application process, please contact the City of Chicago, Department of Human Resources, at 312-744-4976 (voice) or 312-744-5035 (TTY). Please be prepared to provide information in support of your reasonable accommodation request.

ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ANY AND ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.

The City of Chicago is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Military Friendly Employer.

City of Chicago

Brandon Johnson
Mayor