What does a City Attorney do?
A city attorney typically works for the government and focuses on giving legal advice to city leaders when it comes to various matters that affect the city. Their responsibilities include maintaining knowledge of the latest changes in state and federal laws, helping city officials and staff understand procedures, drafting and reviewing contracts and laws, and performing extensive research and analysis. There are also instances when a city attorney may provide legal advice to citizens and even represent government agencies.
City attorney responsibilities
City attorneys play a crucial role in representing and defending their cities in legal matters. They handle city prosecutions in municipal court, eminent domain proceedings, and supervise outside counsel on other litigation matters. In federal court, they defend the city from statutory claims and attempt to reverse arbitration decisions unfavorable to the city. City attorneys also prosecute housing code violations, criminal law violations, and misdemeanor appeals of city charges in circuit court.
In addition to their legal duties, city attorneys promote community awareness and serve as mentors for other attorneys in the civil division. They attend court proceedings, represent the city in legal proceedings, and provide legal advice to criminal investigators and counselors in alternative dispute resolution programs.
According to Mike Gunter Ph.D., Director of Holt International Affairs at Rollins College, "Good writing will always be crucial for city attorneys. There are all types of audiences, of course, so you need to adjust accordingly. But even as technology changes, good writing will remain a valuable asset."
Here are examples of responsibilities from real city attorney resumes:
- Handle diverse general litigation practice in construction defect, product liability, contracts, municipal law and anti-discrimination enforcement.
- Order subpoenas, certify driving records and accident reports.
- Oversee responses to subpoenas, government requests and public records requests.
- Provide counsel and advice to DHS employees regarding statutes, regulations, and policies that govern the child welfare system.
- Prosecute civil service appeals of discipline city employees.
- Represent departments in grievance appeals and arbitration proceedings.
- Perform adjudicatory hearings, wherein children are adjudicate dependent and taken into custody of DHS.
- Prosecute graffiti taggers and negotiate agreements in civil prosecution of minors in as an alternative to litigation.
- Draft dispositive motions, discovery motions, pleadings, initial disclosures, respond to discovery requests and interrogatories.
- Represent individual and institutional clients in all aspects of commercial and residential real estate acquisition, financing and leasing and foreclosure.
- Draft post-hearing briefs in labor arbitration cases and conduct witness interviews.
- Represent the city in court-ordered settlement conferences, mediations and arbitration hearings.
- Assist the state's attorney in criminal prosecutions and civil suits.
- Offer guidance on the long-term effects of draft legislative proposals, including propose DUI, marijuana, and child endangerment statutes.
- Direct felony, juvenile and misdemeanor prosecutions.
City attorney skills and personality traits
We calculated that 11% of City Attorneys are proficient in Litigation, Legal Research, and Legal Advice. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Interpersonal skills, and Problem-solving skills.
We break down the percentage of City Attorneys that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Litigation, 11%
Handled City Prosecutions in Municipal Court and eminent domain proceedings for City and supervised outside counsel on other litigation matters.
- Legal Research, 10%
Conducted extensive legal research including interpreting laws and court decisions in preparation of cases and overcoming objections during trial.
- Legal Advice, 7%
Provided legal advice to criminal investigators and counselors in the alternative dispute resolution program.
- Legal Issues, 5%
Communicated with Dallas City Council on all legal issues surrounding sexually oriented businesses and certain controversial ordinances.
- Municipal Law, 4%
Tracked and presented developments in municipal law at statewide conferences.
- District Court, 4%
Prosecuted misdemeanor appeals of City charges in circuit court and all DUI offenses in general district court.
"litigation," "legal research," and "legal advice" are among the most common skills that city attorneys use at work. You can find even more city attorney responsibilities below, including:
Analytical skills. The most essential soft skill for a city attorney to carry out their responsibilities is analytical skills. This skill is important for the role because "lawyers interpret the law as it applies to their client’s case." Additionally, a city attorney resume shows how their duties depend on analytical skills: "review and analyze documents for information relevant to the litigation process. "
Interpersonal skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling city attorney duties is interpersonal skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "lawyers must build relationships with current and prospective clients, as well as with their colleagues and other members of the legal community." According to a city attorney resume, here's how city attorneys can utilize interpersonal skills in their job responsibilities: "demonstrated effective interpersonal skills through working closely with office of general counsel and administrative appeals judges. "
Problem-solving skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of city attorneys is problem-solving skills. This skill is critical to many everyday city attorney duties, as "lawyers must evaluate information to propose viable solutions, mediate disputes, and reach agreements or settlements for their clients." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "participated in labor negotiations, resolved grievances and defended the city in arbitrations with teamsters, police and fire unions. "
Research skills. For certain city attorney responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "research skills." The day-to-day duties of a city attorney rely on this skill, as "lawyers need to find laws and regulations that apply to a specific matter in order to provide appropriate legal advice for their clients." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what city attorneys do: "conduct extensive research relating to issues regarding inverse condemnation and construction defect litigation. "
The three companies that hire the most city attorneys are:
- City of Reno6 city attorneys jobs
- City of Richmond4 city attorneys jobs
- City of Houston4 city attorneys jobs
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Compare different city attorneys
City attorney vs. General counsel
A general counsel, also called a chief legal officer, is the chief lawyer in the legal department of an organization. The counsel represents an enterprise for any pending legal matters. They work proactively to lessen possible problems associated with legalities and potential risks. They have to monitor practices and the people within the law firm for misconduct. They also perform dominant roles in regulation, ethics, public affairs, and legislation. It is common for them to serve as the public spokesperson of the company during the publicity of legal matters.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a city attorney are more likely to require skills like "municipal law," "appeals," "municipal court," and "city ordinances." On the other hand, a job as a general counsel requires skills like "intellectual property," "juris," "ethics," and "human resources." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
General counsels earn the highest salaries when working in the finance industry, with an average yearly salary of $135,018. On the other hand, city attorneys are paid more in the finance industry with an average salary of $123,371.On average, general counsels reach similar levels of education than city attorneys. General counsels are 4.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 8.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.City attorney vs. Housing counselor
A Housing Counselor works directly with clients and organizations to support moderate and low-income clients in overcoming barriers to housing and financial stability. They represent the homeowner in interventions and/or mediation proceedings with the mortgage servicer, lender, and/or other stakeholders.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, city attorney responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "municipal law," "appeals," "municipal court," and "legal services." Meanwhile, a housing counselor has duties that require skills in areas such as "in-house counsel," "social work," "regulatory compliance," and "crisis intervention." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, housing counselors earn a lower salary than city attorneys. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, housing counselors earn the most pay in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $91,338. Whereas city attorneys have higher pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $123,371.housing counselors earn higher levels of education than city attorneys in general. They're 5.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 8.5% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.City attorney vs. Lawyer
A lawyer is a legal practitioner who specializes in understanding and interpreting laws and other legal matters. Their responsibilities revolve around providing legal counseling and advice, representing clients in different kinds of court proceedings, conducting research, collecting evidence, and coordinating with various experts. A lawyer must also manage and oversee the performance of assistants, paralegals, and other team members. Furthermore, there are instances when a lawyer must draft or manage documents such as contracts, trusts, deeds, and wills, assisting clients as needed.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a city attorney is likely to be skilled in "municipal law," "appeals," "municipal court," and "city ordinances," while a typical lawyer is skilled in "law firm," "real estate," "civil law," and "intellectual property."
Lawyers typically earn higher educational levels compared to city attorneys. Specifically, they're 11.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 25.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.City attorney vs. Bankruptcy specialist
The bankruptcy specialist is responsible for filing and documentation loan bankruptcy materials with the appropriate attorneys. They ensure full compliance with loan bankruptcy regulations and monitor accounts throughout the loan bankruptcy process to contact the appropriate party when necessary. A bankruptcy specialist might be an administrator or lawyer in a bankruptcy office and supports bankruptcy law. They are likely to evaluate state declaration and affidavits for legal progression, interact with customers and outside counsel about bankruptcy proceedings through written and verbal communication, and work with local counsel and upper management in effectively reviewing client's files.
Types of city attorney
Updated April 25, 2024
