Senior Attorney - City of Birmingham

TARGET CLOSE DATE:

03/20/2026

PAY GRADE:

Grade 34

TYPE:

Full time

JOB SUMMARY:

The City of Birmingham Senior Attorneys are responsible for performing legal services for their jurisdictions to include preparing cases for trial, drafting resolutions, and rendering legal opinions to ensure proper legal representation. Employees in this position represent their jurisdiction in court, conduct legal research, ensure that their jurisdictions adhere to relevant legal guidelines (e.g., local laws, codes, ordinances), negotiate various agreements (e.g., claim settlements, contracts), draft and/or review legal documents, and participate in professional development activities (e.g., conferences, workshops). Senior Attorneys work almost exclusively in office and courtroom settings using standard office equipment (e.g., computer, phone, copier) and have no supervisory responsibilities to subordinate personnel.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

The City of Birmingham provides competitive pay and comprehensive benefits packages to include medical and dental insurance, employer-sponsored retirement plan (pension), generous paid holidays, sick and vacation leave, and more. The pay range for this job is listed below:


City of Birmingham: $89,356 - $138,632

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

The following are job-related qualifications that are required for employment consideration for this position:

• Member of the Alabama State Bar Association.

• Experience as a practicing attorney in the areas of litigation or transactional work handling legal issues (e.g., personal injury claims, contracts, writing ordinances, leases, jury trials).

• Experience assigning and delegating work to administrative staff.

TYPICAL JOB DUTIES:

Represents the City, boards, agencies and employees in court (e.g., trials and appeals), before administrative boards, agencies and mediators following legal standards and practices and City and departmental policies to protect the City’s legal position and achieve City goals.

Investigates claims and complaints by or against the City and prepares for and represents the city in litigation involving the City and its staff in order to eliminate and/or minimize liability and loss.

Drafts and reviews legal documents per applicable laws to protect the legal position of the City, boards and agencies and guide their decision-making processes.

Ensures adherence to applicable laws, codes, ordinances, etc. on behalf of the jurisdiction (e.g., City of Birmingham) and its Boards/Agencies by providing legal advice (e.g., policy, other legal matters) and communicating with local businesses, residents, and professionals in order to minimize legal liability of the jurisdiction.

Conducts legal research and participates in professional development activities to maintain a current, comprehensive knowledge of applicable laws and legal procedures and a license to practice law.

Negotiates agreements (e.g., claim settlements, contracts, etc.) with individuals and/or attorneys on behalf of the jurisdiction.

Manages agency projects by establishing goals and timelines, delegating responsibilities, reviewing work, working with outside agencies and vendors, and completing various project reports.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Job is primarily sedentary involving sitting for long periods of time, but may involve occasional walking or standing for brief periods. Job may also involve occasional light lifting of items or objects weighing up to 25 lbs.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Work is conducted almost exclusively indoors in office settings and courtroom settings. Work involves use of standard office equipment, such as computer, phone, copier, etc.

EEO STATEMENT:

The Personnel Board of Jefferson County provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type 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. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment with the Personnel Board of Jefferson County, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.  Each Merit System member city/agency operates its own equal employment opportunity policies available on the individual city/agency website.

ACCOMMODATION:

NOTE:

This job posting may close before, or be extended beyond, the listed Target Close Date based on the employment needs of the Merit System. More detail regarding this job is available by clicking Apply.

DISCLAIMER:

This job posting is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of the job duties, responsibilities, or skills and abilities required for this position and may be changed at the discretion of the Personnel Board at any time.