Job Title: Assistant City Attorney I

Section: General Litigation

Location: 900 Bagby, Houston, TX

Workdays & Hours: MONDAY – FRIDAY 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM* *Subject to Change

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT

The Office of the City Attorney for the City of Houston (the “OCA”) provides municipal legal services to the City, its elected and appointed officials, and its employees while adhering to the following guiding principles:

Quality & Service – Achieving high customer satisfaction as judged by our clients.

Partnership & Teamwork – Working cooperatively internally and with our clients to achieve the City’s goals.

Integrity & Candor – Placing honesty and ethical behavior first.

Dignity & Diversity – Promoting each person’s value.

Innovation & Imagination – Seeking novel and creative approaches to achieving the City’s objectives.

Composed of approximately 100 of Houston’s finest attorneys working in 10 legal practice sections, the OCA handles personal injury, commercial and civil rights litigation, major commercial and real estate transactions, and a diverse array of human resources, labor and employment matters, while also counseling the municipal corporation on economic development, constitutional, election matters, ethics and quality of life matters, and preparing City ordinances governing Houston and its citizens.

Every member of the OCA must be committed to “Service Through Law.”

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

The City of Houston seeks an attorney with e-Discovery experience to join the General Litigation Section. The successful applicant is a team-oriented self-starter who will focus on e-Discovery in civil commercial matters and other complex litigation. In addition to electronic document review, the successful applicant will prepare state and federal court pleadings, motions and discovery relating to e-Discovery as well as other litigation subject matters.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Extensive electronic document review and analysis in large document volume, complex litigation cases.

Coordinating with clients, information technology professionals and paralegals to identify, assemble, organize, evaluate and produce large document collections.

Advise attorneys and clients on best practices and procedures related to ESI identification, preservation, collection, processing, analysis, early case assessment, search, review and production in litigation and investigation matters.

Stay current on developing e-discovery law and procedures, including the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and applicable state rules regarding discovery and apply those rules appropriately in matters.

Assist in designing defensible and cost-effective ESI discovery plans and protocols for all stages of a litigation or investigative matter.

Prepare discovery requests and objections to requests for production of ESI, including form of production specifications.

Prepare and negotiate ESI protocols and protective orders to protect privileged and confidential information in the discovery process, including Federal Rule of Evidence 502 and clawback orders.

Handling written discovery and motion practice in federal and state courts.

Researching and preparing trial court briefs and motions.

Taking and defending depositions of fact and expert witnesses.

Identifying experts and assisting in the development of expert testimony.

Representing the City and City employees in jury trials.

Evaluating case value and making settlement recommendations.

Preparing case memoranda and representing the City in mediations.

Supervising outside counsel.

Counseling the client departments, and training city employees on the enforcement or meaning of city ordinances and policies.

Handling administrative proceedings and court appearances.

Assisting the City Attorney and others with special projects such as drafting City Attorney Legal Opinions.

Drafting, reviewing or revising city policies.

Special projects as assigned by management.

WORKING CONDITIONS

This position is physically comfortable; the individual has discretion about walking, standing, etc. There are no major sources of discomfort in a normal office environment.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATIONAL:

Requires a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from an American Bar Association accredited college of law.

EXPERIENCE:

No experience is required but must, on or within 6 months of the first day of employment with the City of Houston, be an active member in good standing of the Texas State Bar and eligible for admission to Federal court. License to practice law in Texas must be kept current as a condition of employment.

PREFERENCES

PREFERRED SKILLS & ABILITIES

At least two (2) years of experience in state and/or federal court civil litigation.

At least one (1) year of experience working in an e-discovery attorney capacity.

Experience with electronic document review databases and software such as Veritas, Relativity, and CS Disco.

Must be proficient with standard computer equipment, laptops and printers.

Must be generally familiar with all aspects of software interaction with network systems and business application systems.

Excellent oral advocacy skills.

Exceptional writing skills.

Excellent analytical skills.

Excellent organizational skills.

Familiarity with federal and state court judges and court practices and procedures.

Expertise with Texas and Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

Must be willing to work extended hours as needed to accommodate case load demands.

Proficiency with Office 365 suite, including Word, Outlook, Excel, SharePoint, OneDrive, and TEAMS, along with the use of contemporary technology in law practice.

Ability to work independently and under pressure/tight time constraints.

High aptitude for multi-tasking.

Ability to meet deadlines and effectively complete operational and project-based assignments.

GENERAL INFORMATION

SELECTION / SKILLS TESTS REQUIRED

All applicants will be expected to provide a writing sample, transcripts, and letter(s) of recommendation.

SAFETY IMPACT POSITION No

SALARY INFORMATION

Factors used in determining the salary offered include the candidate’s qualifications as well as the pay rates of other employees in this classification.

Pay Grade: 24

Salary: $80,000 to $91,794

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Only online applications will be accepted for this City of Houston job and must be received by the Human Resources Department during posting opening and closing dates shown. Applications must be submitted online at: www.houstontx.gov.

To view your detailed application status, please log-in to your online profile by visiting: http://agency.governmentjobs.com/houston/default.cfm or call (832) 393-6214.

Due to the high volume of applications received, the Hiring Department will contact you directly, should you be selected to advance in our recruitment process.

All new and rehires must pass a pre-employment drug test and are subject to a physical examination and verification of information.

If you need special services or accommodations, call (832) 393-6214.

If you need login assistance or technical support call (855) 524-5627.

EOE - Equal Opportunity Employment

The City of Houston is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.

https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/houston/jobs/newprint/4290627