Employment Law Litigation Attorney

Salary: $112,000.00 - $142,000.00 Annually

Location : St. Paul, MN

Job Type: Full-time

Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid

Job Number: ELA-LMCIT

Department: Insurance Trust

Division: Litigation

Opening Date: 11/15/2024

Applicant Advisory: We welcome you as an applicant for employment with the League of Minnesota Cities. It is the League of Minnesota Cities' policy to provide equal opportunity in employment, and we are committed to building a diverse, welcoming, and respectful workforce. We seek and welcome candidate applications from historically underrepresented groups, such as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) women, LGTBQ+, and those living with disabilities as well as Veterans. The League of Minnesota Cities will not discriminate on the basis of race, natural hair styles and textures (including but not limited to

Position Summary

Recruitment Timeline:
Position is open until filled.
First review of applications: November 25th, 2024.

Hiring range for this position is dependent on years of experience in employment litigation:

• Litigation Atty II $112,000 - $124,000 3-6 years of employment litigation experience
• Litigation Atty III $124,000 - $142,000 7+ years of extensive employment litigation.

Position Summary:
To perform legal and litigation activities for LMCIT, draft legal documents, develop plans for litigation, prepare and respond to written discovery, prepare for and take depositions, prepare and argue motions, negotiate settlements, and try cases to conclusion before a court or jury. The majority of legal and litigation activities will involve cases in which the attorney is "first-chair" or sole counsel on relatively routine to moderately complex municipal cases involving varied issues and claims including property damage, subrogation, employment, discrimination, and personal injury.
Essential Job Duties

• Performs legal and litigation activities, drafts or directs the drafting of documents, i.e., answers, motions, memoranda, etc.
• Conducts, directs, and reviews litigation, develops plans for litigation, determines merits of claims, potential risk, and exposure of litigation.
• Conducts site inspections and interviews.
• Selects and retains experts. Works with experts to help develop case themes and provide written reports and expert disclosures.
• Prepares for and takes depositions, prepares, and selects witnesses, review documents, handles motions, negotiates settlements, prepares cases for trial or hearing and appears at pretrial conferences and trials on increasingly complex cases. Caseload includes cases before state and federal district and appellate courts.
• Represents clients before state and federal district and appellate courts and before state and federal administrative agencies.
• Supervises day-to-day activities of paralegal and legal administrative assistant ("LAA") assigned to counsel. Responsible for maximizing and maintaining efficiency of the attorney's work team (attorney, paralegal and LAA).
• Participates in and makes recommendations on selection and evaluation of paralegal and LAA.
• Prepares appellate briefs and prepares for and presents appellate oral arguments.
• Provides comprehensive case to assigned claims supervisors.
• Provides legal advice and guidance to claims supervisors and member cities on claims and issues not yet in suit.
• Advises city clients and claims supervisors regarding legal analysis, litigation strategy, and settlement negotiations.
• Reports significant litigation events to claims supervisor and city client.
• Participates in mediation, arbitration, and other forms of alternative dispute resolution.
• Keeps Litigation Supervisor informed of activities, problems, case and caseload development.
• Provides risk management, loss control and claims legal advice to LMC members and other LMC staff through meetings, presentations, and telephone and written inquiries.
• Conducts legal research using on-line resources.
• Competently uses technology and other resources to handle properly and ethically, electronically stored information (ESI) in litigation.
• Drafts and edits legal documents and correspondence.
• Other duties as assigned by Litigation Supervisor

Core qualifications & Desirables

• Law degree and current Minnesota Attorney licensure.
• Three years' experience in employment law.
• Prior supervisory experience or experience coordinating the legal work of others (law clerks, paralegals, LAAs, attorneys, etc.).
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Ability to travel within the state of Minnesota to conduct investigations, give presentations and attend litigation events. Some travel will be overnight.
• Occasional work on evenings and weekends as needed for case preparation.

Desirable Qualifications

• Additional years of experience in municipal employment law or civil litigation.
• Public speaking experience.

Examples of Performance Criteria

• Familiar with a variety of defense concepts, practices and procedures including e-discovery.
• Proficient and knowledgeable regarding the use of technology in providing legal services
• Relies on extensive experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals.
• Handles increasingly complex litigation files under general supervision.
• Exercises sound judgment in representation of clients and presentation of cases at court trials, jury trials, state and federal appellate proceedings, arbitrations, mediations, and other alternative dispute resolution events.
• Effectively and efficiently develops and discovers evidence using written discovery, informal discovery, depositions, client interviews and meetings, by directing investigation by claims adjusters and others, and by cultivating, discovering, and identifying expert witness resources.
• Communicates effectively with clients, opposing counsel, claims supervisors and courts.
• Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with outside attorneys and staff.
• Assesses workload and sets realistic priorities to successfully open and close assigned files and to support organizational objectives.
• Successfully completes assignments relative to quality, quantity, and timeliness of work.
• Works effectively under pressure and meets deadlines.
• Develops particular or specialized skills within practice area (i.e., MVA/no fault, employment, complex medical, calculation of lost wages in workers' compensation setting, etc.).
• Meets or exceeds League Empowerment and Performance Program (LEAPP) results/timelines and other department performance measures.
• Promotes diversity and inclusion objectives, including race equity objectives, defined by the League and continually examines own performance to eliminate implicit bias in carrying out duties and interacting with the public, coworkers, and members.

The League of Minnesota Cities offers a comprehensive benefit package to most employees working at least 20 hours. Benefits include vacation, holiday and sick leave as well as paid parental leave, medical, dental, life, supplemental life, spouse and dependent life, and long and short-term disability insurance. In addition the benefits listed above, the League offers a remote/hybrid work environment focused on results.

For a more detailed overview of our benefit package

01

Do you have a law degree?

• Yes
• No

02

Are you licensed as an attorney in Minnesota?

• Yes
• No

03

Please identify your years of experience in employment law.

• Less than 3 years experience
• 3-6 years experience
• 7+ years experience

04

Have you handled any civil jury trials through closing argument?

• Yes
• No

05

Do you have supervisory experience or experience coordinating the legal work of others (law clerks, paralegals, LAAs, attorneys, etc)?

• Yes
• No

06

Do you have the ability ability to travel within the State of Minnesota to conduct investigations, give presentations and attend litigation events. Some travel will be overnight.

• Yes
• No

07

Are you able to work occasional evenings and weekends as needed for case preparation?

• Yes
• No

Required Question