City Attorney

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Applications for the City Attorney position will be accepted on a continuous basis. The first review of applications will take place on June 25, 2026. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply early for best consideration.

The City of Sumner is looking for an experienced, strategic, and community-minded attorney to serve as our next City Attorney. This is far more than a traditional legal role, you'll be a key member of the City’s leadership team, helping shape policies, guide major decisions, protect public interests, and navigate the opportunities and challenges that come with a growing and vibrant community.

We're looking for someone who can confidently move between the council chambers and the courtroom, provide practical legal advice to elected officials and staff, draft clear and effective ordinances, negotiate complex agreements, and help chart the City's future with a thoughtful legal perspective. The ideal candidate is a trusted advisor, collaborative problem-solver, skilled communicator, and strategic thinker who enjoys public service and isn't afraid to tackle a little bit of everything.

If you thrive in a dynamic environment where no two days are the same, value building strong relationships, and want to make a meaningful impact on a community that is proud of its past and excited about its future, we'd love to meet you.

This is a full-time Fair Labor Standards Act exempt position. Attendance at evening meetings is required, and the employee is subject to after-hours emergency contact. This position serves under an individual employment agreement and is not subject to Civil Service rules or protections.

General Purpose:

The City Attorney serves as the chief legal officer of the City and is responsible for planning, directing, and managing the provision of comprehensive legal services to the City. The City Attorney advises and represents the City Council, Mayor, City Administrator, departments, boards, commissions, and other City officials and employees on a broad range of municipal legal matters. Responsibilities include providing legal counsel regarding municipal governance, policy development, regulatory compliance, public records and open government requirements, labor and employment matters, contracts, land use and development, risk management, real property transactions, and other matters affecting the City's operations and interests.

Under the general supervisory direction of the City Administrator, the City Attorney assumes responsibility for carrying out departmental operations in accordance with federal, state, and city laws and general city policy. Initiative and judgment are used in providing expert advice and policy recommendations to the City Administrator, City Council and Mayor. Work is reviewed through periodic reports on the status of programs and operations.

The incumbent directs supervisory, professional, technical, and clerical staff, directly and indirectly.

About Sumner:
The City of Sumner’s vision is to set the standard of excellence for a progressive small city. In working to achieve that vision, Sumner prioritizes and celebrates diverse perspectives, life experiences and differences. The City actively seeks and encourages people with diverse backgrounds and characteristics to apply and all come together with a goal of continuing to learn and improve to better serve the residents, businesses and visitors of our community. Sumner remains a traditional city of just over 11,000 residents with agricultural roots, known for decades as the Rhubarb Pie Capital of the World. At the same time, its compact, walkable layout aligns perfectly with progressive planning trends, as its classic Main Street becomes repurposed for boutiques, independent restaurants and daily services such as legal offices, financial advisors and doctors. While Sumner retains historic neighborhoods of Craftsman houses and an active high school right on Main Street, it also offers over 16,000 manufacturing and distribution jobs for companies such as REI, Keurig Dr. Pepper, Amazon.com, and Dillanos Coffee Roasters. With a downtown Sound Transit station with buses and trains, it is well connected to the Puget Sound region while striving to be a full-service city with the largest YMCA facility in the state of Washington as well as a link trail system that will connect the Foothills and Interurban trails. Like the community, the city government is large enough to be professional but small enough to be creative. The City has won a variety of awards from the Governor's Smart Planning Award to recognition at the International Association of Chiefs of Police for its groundbreaking police work on victims' assistance. With a strong mayor format, the City has just over 140 employees who operate a cemetery, wastewater treatment facility, accredited police department, animal shelter, parks, senior center, full service public works and administration.

Check out all of the exciting projects that our City is working on by visiting: https://connects.sumnerwa.gov/

The job duties and responsibilities represented in this job description in no way imply that these are the only duties to be performed. Employees occupying the position will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by a supervisor. While requirements may be representative of minimum levels of knowledge, skills and abilities to perform these requirements may be representative of minimum levels of knowledge, skills and abilities to perform this job successfully, the employee will possess the abilities or aptitudes to perform each duty with expert proficiency.

Listed below are examples of typical duties:

• Manage the department operations, including setting overall direction, goals and objectives, and priorities for the department;

• Supervise staff (including City Clerk, Attorneys, Public Records staff and support staff) and delegate responsibility and appropriate authority to staff; monitor daily work activities to ensure the timely and accurate completion of functional responsibilities;

• Ensure appropriate training and development of department staff;

• Attend all regular and special City Council sessions; providing legal advice as required.

• As required, attend and participate in meetings and conferences with other City commissions, committees, providing legal advice as required.

• Prepare, interpret and enforce the ordinances and regulations of the City;

• Prepare and/or review, interpret and enforce any contract or inter-local agreement to which the City is a party;

• Review proposed and enacted State and federal legislation for impact upon the City; recommend appropriate responses where necessary to protect the City's legal interests; analyze legal trends and developments impacting the City and recommend appropriate City responses of actions.

• Represent the City in court and before various administrative bodies;

• Prepare and ensure fiscal responsibility of the department budget; control and monitor expenses within the budget;

• Participate in, and provide leadership to City-wide long-range, strategic planning activities in coordination with the City Administrator;

• Participate in the City's short and long range planning to assure proper consideration of legal issues; identify optional positions for the City on legal matters;

• Negotiate real property acquisitions;

• Prepare and conduct verbal and written employee performance evaluations; recognize superior job performance; administer corrective and/or disciplinary actions for undesirable performance consistent with established City policy; receive and investigate complaints, taking action as necessary;

• Evaluate and award legal contracts to outside counsel; assign, direct and coordinate outside counsel work to assure compliance with specifications, timelines, budget and legal requirements.

• Coordinate Department functions with other City departments to ensure unified progress towards City objectives.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience

Graduation from law school with a Juris Doctorate degree, licensed to practice law in the State of Washington; and five (5) years of experience in the field of law with at least three (3) years municipal experience in criminal and/or civil matters, land use, labor law, transportation, general municipal law and administrative law; or a combination of education, experience, and training that indicates the ability to successfully perform the essential functions of the position listed above.

Special Requirements:
Licensed to practice law in the State of Washington and a member in good standing of the Washington State Bar Association.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Knowledge of:

• Comprehensive municipal law, including torts, contracts, land use, utilities, labor law, public records, criminal law, constitutional law, government and administrative law, and municipal finance;
  • Current literature, trends and developments in the field of municipal law;
  • Courtroom procedures and techniques;
  • Correct English usage, grammar, spelling, punctuation and vocabulary.

Skills:

• Exercise sound judgment in evaluating situations and making decisions;

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with City personnel, outside agencies, and the general public;

• Guide, direct, and motivate employees;

• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; and

• Effectively delegate duties and responsibilities.

Ability to:

• Present legal arguments and opinions effectively and persuasively both in writing and verbally;
• Advise the City Council and staff on legal matters in a clear and concise manner;
• Conduct research on legal matters related to the administration of the City;
• Interpret and apply City policies, procedures, law and regulations relating to management activities;
• Use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to various situations;
• Resolve conflicts and gain cooperation among conflicting groups;
• Complete work and projects in a thorough and timely manner;
• Effectively train, supervise, and evaluate department personnel (directly or indirectly);
• Apply judgment and discretion in resolving problems and interpreting policies;
• Operate a personal computer with associated software and peripherals
• Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing and possess active listening skills;
• Maintain confidentiality of information;
• Establish and maintain positive, effective working relationships with those contacted in the performance of work;
• Maintain regular, reliable and punctual attendance.
• Understand the City's political environment and sensitivities;
• Provide excellent customer service by using a friendly, professional, accurate and customer orientated approach to a wide variety of customers, including: business owners, government officials, general public and other staff. This would include in-person, written and oral communications;
• Contribute to achieving the City's Mission.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands/work environment described is representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Requirements may be subject to modifications to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities who are otherwise qualified for employment in this position. However, some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health and safety of themselves or other employees.

Physical Demands:
Constant use of sight, hearing, and speech abilities to perform essential functions and communicate with others. Constant fine finger manipulation and use of hands and arms in reaching/handling/fingering/grasping while operating office equipment and computers, preparing written documentation, handling paperwork, etc. Frequent sitting, may be extended at times, while doing desk activities. Requires mental acuity to ensure thorough mental analysis of situations in a fast-paced environment.

SEDENTARY: Positions in this class typically require: stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, mobility, fingering, grasping, talking, seeing, hearing, and repetitive motions.
Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting, most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met. Some positions may require greater periods of walking and/or standing.

Description of Work Environment:
Works indoors in a climate-controlled office environment with low noise levels with occasional travel to other work sites. Required to work evenings, including public meetings.

Selection Guidelines:
Formal application, rating of education and experience, oral interview and reference check; job-related tests may be required.

Background checks will include:

• Prior Employment Verification: confirms applicant's employment with the listed companies, including dates of employment, position held and additional information available pertaining to performance rating, reason for departure and eligibility for rehire. This verification will be run on the past three employers or the previous five years, whichever comes first.
• Personal and Professional References: calls will be placed to individuals listed as references by the applicant.
• Employment Eligibility Verification: Form I-9 is used for verifying the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired for employment in the United States.
• Educational Verification: confirms the applicant's claimed educational institution, including the years attended and the degree/diploma received.
• Criminal History: includes review of criminal convictions and probation. The following factors will be considered for applicants with a criminal history:
  • The nature of the crime and its relationship to the position.
  • The time since the conviction.
  • The number (if more than one) of convictions.
  • Whether hiring, transferring or promoting the applicant would pose an unreasonable risk to the business, its employees or its customers and vendors.
    The following additional background searches will be required if applicable to the position:
• Motor Vehicle Records: provides a report on an individual's driving history in the state requested. This search will be run when driving is an essential requirement of the position.
• Credit History: confirms candidate's credit history. This search will be run for positions that involve management of City of Sumner funds and/or handling of cash or credit cards.

The job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the job change.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The City is an equal employment opportunity employer. The City employs, retains, promotes, terminates and otherwise treats all employees and job applicants on the basis of job-related qualifications and competence. These policies shall be applied without regard to any individual's sex, race, color, religion, national origin, pregnancy, age, marital status, sensory, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation including gender expression and identity, genetic information, domestic violence victim or other basis prohibited by law.

Persons needing assistance in the application process may call the Human Resources Office, at 253-299-5595 or email [email protected]. If you are invited to participate in the selection process and need ADA accommodations, please notify HR before you are scheduled for an interview or testing.

Drug Free Workplace
The City of Sumner is a drug free workplace. The City is committed to ensuring a safe and healthy work environment, free from employees whose job performance may be impaired by the use of prescription, nonprescription, over-the-counter drugs, illegal controlled substances, marijuana and alcohol.

General Hiring Process Information

• Candidates must submit required documents as outlined in the job announcement in order to be considered.
• Submitting a cover letter and resume is not required but is recommended.
• Applicants must provide professional references with accurate phone numbers and email addresses. References will only be contacted for applicants who progress past the interview process.
• If multiple applications are received for the same candidate, only the most recently submitted, complete application will be considered.
• Applications received by the review date will be screened for minimum qualifications and then submitted to a Subject Matter Expert to select which candidates will be invited to interview. Personally identifiable information is removed from the applications during the screening process.
• Applicants who are invited to interview will receive notification by email and are typically provided at least one weeks' notice prior to the scheduled interview date.
• Applicants who are not invited to interview will be notified by email.
• Remote interviews may be available for candidates unable to participate in person, remote interviews are held through an online meeting platform such as Microsoft Teams.
• Applicants who pass the interview process may be invited back for a second interview with the department leads or for a walking interview through the department.
• Applicants who did not pass the interview process will be notified by email.