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Job Description
Job Summary
COME JOIN OUR TEAM AND HELP GRAND PRAIRIE BUILD ITS FUTURE!
The City of Grand Prairie has experienced explosive development and growth over the last few years, creating increased complexity in providing legal services. The City Attorney’s Office has been able to add additional staffing in the last year to accommodate these needs. Retirements and restructuring of key roles in 2023 and 2024 have created exciting opportunities to grow and reposition the City Attorney’s Office for the future. This is an opportunity to become a part of an established, first-class City and City Attorney’s Office with opportunities for growth within the department. The ideal candidate will match the personality of the City: dynamic, forward-thinking, assertively friendly, hard-working, and bold.
Under the direction of the City Attorney, assist in providing a variety of legal services for the City of Grand Prairie, its departments and employees. The role in the Prosecution Division is the Lead Prosecutor responsible for prosecuting Class C misdemeanors in Municipal Court. The role in the Civil Division is responsible for counseling and advising City departments on enforcement matters, civil liability, and drafting or reviewing City contracts, leases, ordinances, requests for records, attending boards and commission meetings, and occasionally representing the City in litigation and before administrative bodies. All roles will also be required to assist in all other aspects of municipal law and other duties as assigned.
Applications received on or before January 27, 2025 will be considered for the initial interview process. Applications received after this date will be reviewed at the City’s discretion until the position is filled.
Essential Job Functions
Assistant City Attorney I/Lead Prosecutor:
(This position may be assigned to the Civil Division or to the Prosecution Division as the Lead Prosecutor)
•Minimum 3 years legal experience required, with prior legal experience in municipal law, criminal prosecution or related field preferred.
•As the Lead Prosecutor in the City’s Municipal Court, represents the City in the filing and prosecution of all Class C criminal and civil violations in Municipal Court, including both bench and jury trials, and preparing for and handling pretrial conferences, plea agreements, preparation of motions, and other legal documents.
•Reviews reports, prepares complaints, and meets with attorneys and pro se defendants to review and advise of charges and options for disposition of cases.
•Interviews and prepares witnesses for trial.
•Represents the City in administrative hearings and on appeal of cases.
•Reviews requests for records under the Texas Public Information Act and timely responds to requests or request an Attorney General Opinion.
•Keeps police department updated on any changes to penal laws or City ordinances affecting the prosecution of Class C criminal or civil violations.
•Drafts or reviews City contracts, ordinances, resolutions, leases, deeds, easements, agenda items, and Public Information Act request documents.
•Researches, analyzes, and prepares legal memoranda, opinions and training bulletins on criminal or civil law, criminal procedure, department policy, case law, and legislative updates as necessitated by law or as requested by the City Attorney, Deputy City Attorney or City Department Directors.
•Advises and assists the City Attorney and City departments in solving legal issues resulting from civil disposition or criminal prosecution of cases.
•Prepares or reviews text for new ordinances or amendments to current ordinances upon approval of the City Attorney, and determines appropriate enforcement.
•Makes presentations before the City Council, boards, commissions, staff, civic groups or the general public as needed.
•Responsible for coordinating with the Municipal Court Director and Municipal Court Judge to schedule prosecutors to ensure sufficient court coverage.
•Performs other duties as assigned by a Deputy City Attorney or City Attorney.
•Regular and dependable attendance is required.
•This position has supervisory responsibilities for other attorneys assigned to the Prosecution Division, legal administrative staff assigned to Municipal Court, and interns assigned to the Prosecutor Division in Municipal Court.
Minimum Qualifications
•Required Education: Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school
•Required Licenses: Licensed by the State Bar of Texas; Valid Class C Driver’s License
•Minimum 3 years legal experience required, with prior legal experience in municipal law, criminal prosecution or related field preferred.
The City offers a full range of benefits for full time employees, including, but not limited to the plans as defined in the Benefits Guide. Summary of Benefits
Closing Date/Time: 2/7/2025 5:00 PM Central -
Special Instructions
2/7/2025 5:00 PM Central -
ABOUT THE COMPANY
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City of Grand Prairie
Show moreWelcome to the City of Grand Prairie! We Live Life Grand here – about 200,640 residents call Grand Prairie home, and we’re still growing. Grand Prairie is the 16th largest city in Texas and the 125th largest city in the United States, but we still have small town values. We are rated the #1 Best Place to Retire in the U.S., 2nd Happiest City in Texas, 5th Best City for First-Time Home Buyers in Texas, 7th Safest Large City in Texas, and in the Top 50 U.S. Best Place to
Raise a Family!We have attractions that draw almost 10 million visitors a year to:
- Epic Waters Indoor Water Park showcasing 80,000 square feet of year-round water fun referred to as a “cruise ship on land”
- The Summit Active Adult Center with state-of-the-art fitness training, indoor infinity edge pool with lap lanes and exercise vortex, theater, game room, sauna
- PlayGrand Adventures (10-acre, all-accessible playground) is an exciting opportunity to provide a safe and fun playground experience for all ages and abilities (open late 2019)
- Firehouse Gastro Park restaurant downtown (conversion of historic Firehouse #1)
- Lone Star Park Thoroughbred Horse Race Track
- The Theatre at Grand Prairie concert venue
- Historic Uptown Theater in downtown
- IKEA, Living Spaces and the Premium Outlet Mall
- Traders Village
- Lake Joe Pool
- Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! And Palace of Wax
- Epic Central Park, a 172-acre park with five lakes, a Grand Lawn amphitheater, trails and a water and light show
- Chicken N’ Pickle
- Bolder Adventure Park
- The Epic Arts, Fitness and Entertainment Center with $1 million in cardio and strength training equipment, indoor walking/jogging track, group fitness and more
Grand Prairie recently welcomed more than 50 new restaurants and retail stores along SH 161, and development continues at a brisk pace. The city offers a vibrant lifestyle, with the best parks in the nation, more amenities than most, affordable to affluent housing and friendly neighbors.
City employees work hard to ensure Grand Prairie is known as an organization that creates Raving Fans by delivering world-class service. Our employee family and elected officials constantly live our values, aggressively move toward our vision and are always looking for ways to make the business of running a city even better.The hard work, positive input and optimism of all our city employees all play a key role in our success. We look forward to you joining our
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