The City of Providence welcomes and encourages diversity in our workforce at all levels of the organization. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit hiring discrimination of any type. All City hiring decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

PLEASE NOTE:
All persons employed by the City of Providence are required to have achieved a fully vaccinated status against the COVID-19 virus. “Fully vaccinated status” shall be defined as having received the full number of doses required to complete the vaccination series of one of the currently recognized COVID-19 vaccines. Proof of vaccination completion will be required before beginning employment with the City.

Job Summary

This is professional legal work as an assistant to the City Solicitor in the Law Department. Work involves responsibility for performing legal work as assigned. The extent of the work review depends upon the difficulty and importance of individual assignments.

The examples of work performed are representative of the work of the office as a whole; no candidate is expected to handle all of the various types of assignments. The omission of specific statements of duties does not preclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

Duties & Responsibilities

Investigates or assists in the investigations of suits or claims against the City.
Does trial work in defending suits against the City.
Assists in the preparation of contracts and other legal documents in which the City is an interested party.
Advises City officials, employees, boards, authorities and commissions with respect to legal issues arising in connection with their duties.
Prepares petitions and performs other related legal work in connection to property in which the City has an interest.
Performs legal research and renders general assistance to the City Solicitor in handling various legal matters.
Drafts legislation for presentation to the Rhode Island General Assembly where interests of the City are involved, and drafts resolutions or ordinances for the Providence City Council and its committees.
Prosecutes minimum housing, building, and zoning code violation matters in Housing Court.
Prosecutes cases brought by City police for violation of criminal laws of the State, and by City departments and officials for violation of municipal ordinances.
Represents the City in civil litigation defense in District, Superior, and Supreme Courts with respect to municipal tax appeals.
Represents the City in negotiating, drafting, and enforcing tax stabilization, treaty, PILOT, tax incremental financing, and/or other tax agreements.
Advises City officials, employees, boards, authorities and commissions with respect to compliance with both the state’s Access to Public Records Act and the Open Meetings Act.
Maintains confidential materials, in accordance with federal, state and municipal laws and rules and regulations.
Exercises highest degree of ethical behavior.

Minimum Qualifications

A candidate for this position should have both a Bachelor’s Degree and a Juris Doctorate (or equivalent), and be a member of the Rhode Island Bar. The candidate should also exhibit strong oral and written communication skills; knowledge of the principles and practices of municipal law, as well as established precedents and sources of legal reference; knowledge of judicial procedures and the rules of evidence; ability to interact and present information in a clear and concise manner; ability to develop comprehensive reports and proposals; ability to conduct independent legal research and to analyze and interpret results; ability to plan, organize and manage multiple projects. The candidate must have skills to exercise considerable judgment, innovation and discretion in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships across all levels of the municipality and with external groups.

Duties at this level require the application of a variety of complex administrative and professional procedures. The incumbent must communicate effectively with both elected and appointed officials, department heads, and other municipal employees, as well as Law Department staff, and outside consultants or firms handling matters for the City. Incumbent may be required to work outside of normal business hours.

Errors could result in direct monetary costs and legal liability, delay and loss of service, adverse public relations, and other consequences. The incumbent has access to confidential information including pending lawsuits, bid proposals, development plans and proposals, employee personnel records, collective bargaining, and sensitive financial information.

The incumbent has frequent contact with all departments and the Mayor’s staff, senior staff at other municipal, state, and federal agencies, public and private sector counterparts, all requiring administrative and technical knowledge and the ability to promote and protect the City’s best interests; contact requires considerable skill in negotiation, resourcefulness and discretion. The incumbent has contact with the general public regarding pending matters, policies and/or procedures related to Law Department and City matters. Contacts are by telephone, written correspondence, and in person at public hearings, judicial proceedings, and formal and informal meetings.

Supervision

This position reports to the Deputy City Solicitor and the City Solicitor.

Physical and Mental Requirements

The incumbent works in an office setting which is moderately noisy on an intermittent basis. Risk of personal injury is low, except when traveling to and from various work sites. Physical demands generally involve standing and reaching with the hands up to 1/3 of the time; walking up to 2/3 of the time; sitting, talking, or listening hearing and using the hands more than 2/3 of the time. Seldom is weight lifted or force exerted up to 10 pounds. There are no special vision requirements for this position. Equipment used includes office machines and personal computers.

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Assistant City Solicitor