City Attorney

The City of Winchester is seeking a legal expert to serve as counsel and advisor to City leadership as City Attorney.

About Winchester, Virginia

Winchester, VA is located in Frederick County in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. With a population of nearly 30,000 residents, Winchester is one of the Commonwealth’s fastest-growing cities.

Known as the “Apple Capital” due to its vast orchards, Winchester is home of the annual Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival, which draws a crowd of more than 250,000 visitors each year. It is also recognized for its rich Civil War history, with numerous historic sites and battlefields, and as the birthplace of country music legend Patsy Cline.

Other attractions include the city’s historic Old Town with its pedestrian mall and the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley. Residents enjoy a slower pace while having access to a wide range of concerts and festivals, many opportunities for hiking and outdoor activities, and wonderful restaurants and unique local shopping.

The government of the City of Winchester is led by 8 Councilors elected from 4 Wards, the Mayor who is elected at-large, the City Manager, and the members of the City’s various Boards and Commissions.

About the City Attorney

The City Attorney serves as counsel and legal advisor to the Common Council (also known as City Council), the City Manager, and City staff, as well as the City’s various Boards, Agencies, and Commissions. The City Attorney is responsible for handling all legal affairs on behalf of the City of Winchester. In addition, the City Attorney reviews and drafts ordinances and resolutions for consideration by the Common Council, updates and maintains the City Code, administers all pending civil litigation by and against the City, and conducts courtroom prosecution of violations of City ordinances. The City Attorney reports directly to and serves at the pleasure of Common Council.

As a licensed, practicing attorney in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the City Attorney must adhere to the Professional Rules of Conduct as determined by the Supreme Court of Virginia. Additionally, as a direct appointee of Common Council, the City Attorney is expected to display exemplary standards with regard to conduct both in and out of the Office.

Starting salary is in the low $200,000s. The final offer will be commensurate with the selected candidate’s experience.

Specifically, the City Attorney has the following responsibilities across three key areas:

Representation – The City Attorney serves as lead counsel on complex legal matters on behalf of the City. This may include but is not limited to representation in Civil and Criminal matters in state court, federal court, and other administrative proceedings. The City Attorney represents the City in administrative proceedings such as the prosecution of employee grievances; representation of the City’s interests before Boards and/or Committees; civil mediation proceedings; and other administrative matters. The City Attorney manages and serves as the liaison on all legal matters handled through counsel appointed by the City’s insurer (VRSA) and indemnifier (VARisk).

Counsel – The City Attorney provides legal counsel to the City of Winchester and its employees on all legal matters related to the operations and interest of the City of Winchester. While the City Attorney is ultimately accountable to the interests of the Common Council, in their role as legal advisor they may also provide counsel to the City Manager and various departments of the City on specific issues related to City government affairs.

Administration – As head of the Office of the City Attorney (the Office), the City Attorney is responsible for the supervision and evaluation of all employees in the Office and for managing the budget of the Office. The City Attorney may issue such Administrative Policies as necessary with regard to operational and administrative matters pertaining to the Office. The Office may employ such full-time, part-time, or temporary, Assistant City Attorneys, Special Counsel, Outside Counsel, and Support Staff as necessary to fulfill the legal needs of the City, who shall serve at the pleasure of and under the direction and supervision of the City Attorney who shall remain fully responsible for all legal services provided on behalf of the Office.

Position Qualifications

The qualified candidate for the position of City of Attorney with the City of Winchester will have:

• Any combination of education and experience equivalent to a law degree,
• Considerable work experience in a private or public law practice,
• Four (4) or more years of experience as an Assistant City, County, or Town Attorney or otherwise in the practice of Municipal Law, and
• Membership in the Virginia Bar with license to practice under the laws of the Commonwealth.

The qualified candidate will be able to demonstrate the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Comprehensive knowledge of the applicable laws, ordinances and regulations
• Thorough knowledge of municipal law, including but not limited to Contracts, Eminent Domain, Land Use, Building Code and Zoning Enforcement, Employment Law, Constitutional Law, Torts, Parliamentary Procedure, Tax, Real Estate, Administrative Law, and other areas
• Extensive knowledge of Civil and Criminal Procedure and the ability to prepare pleadings, articulate and convey legal arguments, and provide exemplary representation on legal matters
• Ability to analyze a variety of complex legal problems, to make sound recommendations for their solutions, and to prepare working procedures
• Ability to express information effectively, both orally and in writing
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other officials, employees, and the public

The following credentials, memberships, skills, and types of experience are preferred but not required:

• An L.L.M. or other professional specialization in Municipal Government law or related field
• Work as a law review staff writer or editor
• Four (4) or more years of supervisory or management experience
• Two (2) or more years of experience as a City, County, or Town Attorney for a Virginia municipality
• Membership in Virginia Local Government Attorneys

To Apply

The City of Winchester is partnering with PoliHire to recruit their City Attorney. To be considered for this position, attach 2 PDFs – a letter of interest and your resume – in an email to Winchester_Attorney@Polihire.com. Please include only your name (Last, First) in the subject line of the email.

Once your application is successfully transmitted, you will receive an auto-generated acknowledgment email. Please be aware that this confirmation email may be in your junk/spam folder. Please contact info@polihire.com if you do not receive an acknowledgement or have any questions.