Village Attorney

⁠​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌⁠Position Description

Position Overview
The chief legal advisor to the Mayor, Village Administrator, Village Staff, Village Council, and Director of the Legal Department. Provide legal opinions and strategy, minimize risk and liability, manage legal issues, and represent the Village from a legal perspective in all administrative proceedings and legal actions. This is an at-will, FLSA exempt position, appointed by the Mayor and reporting directly to the Mayor and Village Administrator.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Represents the Village in a variety of legal proceedings at the local, state, and federal level in administrative hearings or before courts; reviews, approves, and negotiates legal issues; assures that legal issues are resolved within Village policy guidelines; reviews and evaluates pertinent decisions, policies, regulations and other legal matters; attends Village Council meetings to provide legal advice and information, and present findings and recommendations; manages municipal legal issues.
• Consults and provides legal advice and counsel to Village officials, employees, departments, and agencies; conducts legal review and research to make recommendations on issues arising out of Village policies, resolutions, ordinances, state and federal law, and related regulations; negotiates agreements with opposing parties and counsel on behalf of the Village; assesses and evaluates claims against the Village, labor union matters, contracts, leases, personnel matters, financial, personal injury, property matters, and criminal prosecutions; anticipates problems and pursues solutions; establishes legal strategies, identifies policy and compliance issues, and proposes solutions.
• Represents the Village in litigation, negotiations, settlements, and other municipal legal proceedings; provides legal assessments and recommendations; conducts factual and legal analysis to determine whether legal issues should be prosecuted or defended based on the facts of law and evidence; coordinates and conducts conferences and mediation with opposing parties concerning settlement of cases; conducts legal research; gathers and compiles legal instruments and documents; identifies and evaluates records and other information; prepares and presents various special and recurring reports, legal documents, analysis, and recommendations as requested and required.
• Develops and implements goals to meet Village strategic plans and objectives; reviews strategies and determines resource requirements and program goals and deliverables; determines scope and priorities of projects; develops services and policies to support present and future needs.
• Plans, organizes, coordinates, and directs assigned operations; identifies and monitors long and short-range goals and objectives; evaluates a wide variety of issues, and recommends and implements solutions to safeguard the Village's operations; manages Legal Department performance and productivity; directs the continuous improvement of the work products; assures the overall integrity of the support and functionality of provided services; develops, evaluates, and manages assigned functions, budgets and projects.
• Monitors trends in municipal law and risk management issues to recommend operational, procedural, and policy improvements; directs and coordinates multi-jurisdictional issues; manages, allocates, and coordinates numerous internal and external resources; assures effective communication of issues and strategies.
• Supervises, guides and assists professional legal staff; provides coaching, counseling and professional assistance on legal skills and professional development and responsibilities.
• Develops and monitors Legal Department budget, approves budget expenditures; prepares and reviews operational analysis of program costs.
• Oversees risk management program. Liaises with the New Mexico Self Insurers Fund on all tort claims
• Coordinates with outside specialized legal counsel on matters outside the scope of a general counsel such as water rights, labor relations, bond counsel, etc.

Minimum Qualifications
Juris Doctor Degree AND seven (7) years of experience in a government legal practice, including three (3) years of administrative and management experience to include supervising personnel
Licenses/Certification(s):

• Valid Class D driver’s license.
• Must be a member of the New Mexico State Bar Association, licensed to practice law in the State of New Mexico, and remain active with all New Mexico Bar annual requirements.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Comprehensive Knowledge of: management and personnel administration methods, techniques and policies; State of New Mexico criminal and civil statutes, rules, case law, administrative orders, policies and procedures, and applicable Federal rules and regulations; personnel and labor management laws, rules and regulations; legal precedents and court decisions impacting municipal government; court procedures, rules of evidence, protocols and strategies; legal research methods, techniques, sources, databases and other research tools; legal case management procedures and techniques; principles and protocols for the evidentiary gathering of information, documents, financial records and other data that may be used in court and legal hearings; Village protocols and strategies of negotiation and litigation; principles of the development, refinement and presentation of legal strategies; Village ordinances, codes, policies, resolutions, and agreements; business and personal computers, and technical software applications.
Ability to: use initiative and independent judgment within established procedural guidelines; assess, prioritize and delegate multiple tasks, projects and demands; demonstrate effective interpersonal relationships in bringing people together to solve problems; prepare and administer budgets; supervise, lead, and delegate tasks and authority; communicate effectively in verbal and written forms; establish and maintain effective working relations with employees, officials, other agencies and the public.
Skills in: assuming executive level responsibilities and making appropriate decisions; researching and identifying precedence in case law; negotiating agreements; litigating cases in a legal hearing and courtroom setting; reviewing and assessing legal issues and documents; effectively assessing, interpreting and applying complex criminal and civil laws to information, evidence and other data compiled; utilizing and evaluating electronic legal research and on-line systems; developing and implementing long-range plans and procedures for cost effective management of allocated resources; working effectively with labor union leadership, and effectively negotiating in a union environment; interpreting technical instructions and analyzing complex variables.
I assume this will eventually be put into the same format as our other position descriptions.