The City of Chicago Department of Law is Hiring Law Clerks and Attorneys
JOB ANNOUNCEMENT #1
DEPARTMENT OF LAW – Building & License Enforcement (BLE) Division
The City of Chicago’s Law Department is seeking an attorney for the position of Assistant Corporation Counsel in its Building & License Enforcement Division. Assistant Corporation Counsels in the Building and License Enforcement Division address issues of public safety by prosecuting cases at Circuit Court and the Department of Administrative Hearings involving buildings, owners and licensees that fail to comply with Municipal Code requirements. Assistant Corporation Counsels work in conjunction with various City Departments including Buildings, Fire, Health, Housing and Economic Development, and Police in an effort to identify and abate distressed and/or unsafe properties throughout the City ofChicago. The Assistant Corporation Counsel will be responsible for organizing and maintaining a large caseload, advising client departments, and interacting with community representatives.
Qualifications:
Graduation from an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school with at least a 2.75 cumulative GPA; admission to the Illinois Bar (or eligible for admission on motion to the Illinois Bar pursuant to Illinois Supreme Court 705); and a minimum of four (4) months of experience as a licensed, practicing attorney handling cases at Cook County’s Circuit Court and/or the City of Chicago’s Department of Administrative Hearings.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Superior organizational skills
- Attention to detail
- Exceptional research skills
- Superior writing skills
- Exceptional communication skills
- The ability to work well with others
- History of leadership and ability to take initiative
- Ability to organize, prioritize, monitor and control workflow deadlines
Please note that the online application submission deadline is August 14, 2012 and the required hard copy materials submission deadline is August 20, 2012.
For application process, materials and additional information, please visit the website.
JOB ANNOUNCEMENT #2
DEPARTMENT OF LAW – Appeals Division
The City of Chicago’s Law Department is seeking an attorney for the position of Assistant Corporation Counsel 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, and U.S. Supreme Court. 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 on which the Division has considerable experience. 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, and other cases involving city government and programs.
Qualifications:
Graduation from an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school on or before June 2009; admission to the Illinois Bar (or eligible for admission on motion to the Illinois Bar pursuant to Illinois Supreme Court 705); Law School class rank in the top 15% of the class or an equivalent distinction; involvement in one of the following activities in law school: moot court; law review; law journal; clinical experience; or judicial externship or internship; and experience following law school as either an appellate clerk for a minimum of 6 months or an appellate attorney who has handled at least one appellate matter.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Exceptional research skills
- An organized and clear writing style
- Sophisticated analytical skills
- Clear and persuasive oral communication
- The ability to work well with others
- Demonstrated history of taking the initiative
- The ability to organize, prioritize, and meet deadlines
- Attention to detail
- Thoroughness
Please note that the online application submission deadline is August 15, 2012 and the required hard copy materials submission deadline is August 21, 2012.
For application process, materials and additional information, please visit the website.
JOB ANNOUNCEMENT #3
DEPARTMENT OF LAW – Employment Litigation (ELIT) Division
The City of Chicago’s Law Department is seeking an attorney for the position of Assistant Corporation Counsel Supervisor/Senior in the Employment Litigation Division to represent the City and individual employees in employment litigation matters. The Employment Litigation Division represents the City of Chicagoand individual employees in employment related litigation filed in Federal and State Court. The Assistant Corporation Counsel Supervisor/Senior will work under the general supervision of the Deputy Corporation Counsel of the Employment Litigation Division, and will be given a high level of responsibility for handling complex employment litigation; maintaining his or her own case load; trying cases; training, supervising, and evaluating attorneys and staff within the Division; reviewing and evaluating cases; drafting pleadings; editing briefs; conducting discovery; negotiating settlements; assisting City departments with compliance issues and protocols; and otherwise advising and counseling City departments on employment and personnel matters.
Qualifications:
Graduation from an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school; admission to the Illinois Bar (or eligible for admission on motion to the Illinois Bar pursuant to Illinois Supreme Court 705); and a minimum of seven (7) years of experience as a licensed, practicing attorney, including a minimum of four (4) years of legal experience handling employment litigation defense in Federal and/or State court.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Superior research, writing, and editing skills
- Firm knowledge of employment law and rules of civil procedure and evidence
- Exceptional judgment, organizational, and time management skills
- The ability to work and communicate well with supervisors and others
- Demonstrated leadership and initiative on assigned tasks
- Demonstrated ability to prioritize, monitor, and control workflow deadlines
Please note that the online application submission deadline is August 14, 2012 and the required hard copy materials submission deadline is August 20, 2012.
For application process, materials and additional information, please visit the website.
JOB ANNOUNCEMENT #4
Department of Law – Various Divisions
Law Clerk – Part Time & Full Time; Minimum 25 hours per week
The City of Chicago’s Department of Law is seeking persons who are interested in working as a Law Clerk. This is the ideal position for an attorney licensed to practice law in Illinois or a law student who is eligible for a license under Supreme Court Rule 711 at the time of application who is looking for experience prosecuting violations of the Chicago Municipal Code in Circuit Court or at the Department of Administrative Hearings; prosecuting violations of the Illinois Vehicle Code in Circuit Court; handling debts due and owing the City; handling matters involving the acquisition of property through lien foreclosure; or determining property ownership and responsible parties in preparation for litigation involving real property. Duties may include: court calls; interview witnesses; try cases; conduct hearings; research and write motions, memoranda and briefs; argue motions; engage in settlement negotiations; work closely with client departments; review and analyze files in a variety of cases; and recommend appropriate courses of action. This is a great opportunity to improve your litigation, negotiation and writing skills.
Law Clerks may be cross-trained to work in one or more of the following Divisions:
Building & License Enforcement (BLE) – This Division handles fire, building, health and zoning code violations as well as licensing issues.
Legal Information, Investigations & Prosecutions (LIIP) – The Prosecutions unit within this Division handles cases that may include fatal and multiple-vehicle traffic accidents, routine traffic citations and misdemeanor offenses punishable by a jail time penalty.
For application process, qualifications, selection requirements, salary, materials and additional information, please visit the website.