Job Number: 01-211019-04: Associate General Counsel
Company Name: Kansas City Missouri Police Department 1462
JOB DESCRIPTION
TITLE: Associate General Counsel
DIVISION/UNIT: Office of the General Counsel
REPORTS TO: General Counsel
DATE: June 2021 PAY RANGE: 24 FLSA: Exempt
Job Objectives: (Purpose of the position.)
To assist the General Counsel in providing legal counsel and handling litigation matters for the Department.
Essential Job Functions: (Functions essential to attaining job objectives.)
1. Assist the General Counsel with legal matters pertaining to the operation of the Department in an accurate and timely manner, including but not limited to:
a. Providing “legal update” in-service instruction at the Regional Training Academy and other instruction as needed;
b. Resolving claims for property damage and personal injury against the Department or Department members;
c. Assisting the records clerk with responding to Sunshine Law requests for records and the Paralegal in handling of records retention issues;
d. Legal review of audits completed by the Department’s internal auditor or outside auditors;
e. Attending meetings of the Board of Police Commissioner’s Audit Sub-Committee and Board of Police Commissioners;
f. Providing legal opinions regarding the development and editing of Department written policies;
g. Providing legal opinions in response to e-mail, phone call and in-person questions from sworn and non-sworn members regarding a variety of issues, primarily but not exclusively regarding the Fourth and Fifth Amendments;
h. Providing legal opinions regarding and tracking of worker’s compensation claims, the Department’s excess worker’s compensation insurance coverage, the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations forms and inquiries regarding worker’s compensation, and assisting Personnel in the handling of work-related injuries sustained by Department members;
i. Being ‘on call’ for officer involved shootings and other emergency incidents;
j. Drafting, reviewing and providing legal counsel regarding memoranda of understanding, contracts, grant applications and grant acceptance documentation;
k. Representing the Office of General Counsel on the Notable Events Review Panel, other committees and panels, and at internal and outside meetings and events as needed; and,
l. Supervising staff assigned to the Office of General Counsel in the absence of the General Counsel.
2. Establish and maintain positive and effective working relationships with others in the General Counsel’s Office, other Department members, government officials, and the public. Presentation of a positive, customer service oriented approach to the public is essential. Focusing on the Department’s Strategic Objective #1 of providing high quality services in a customer friendly manner by fostering a culture of service excellence is paramount.
3. Represent the Department in trials, court appearances and internal administrative hearings.
4. Fill-in for the General Counsel as needed.
5. Maintain reliable and predictable attendance. Must have the ability to work in excess of forty hours per week, work a flexible work schedule, weekends, on-call and holidays.
6. Perform related duties as required and assigned.
7. This class specification should not be interpreted as all inclusive. It is intended to identify the essential functions and requirements of this job. Incumbents may be requested to perform job-related responsibilities and tasks other than those stated in this specification. Any essential function or requirement of this class will be evaluated as necessary should an incumbent/applicant be unable to perform the function or requirement due to a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as amended by the Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA); and the Missouri Human Rights Act (MHRA).
Job Standards: (Minimum qualifications needed to perform essential functions.)
The incumbent may not be a member of a Department labor organization, nor is this position covered by any Collective Bargaining Unit.
1. To successfully perform the essential functions of the position, the incumbent must meet and maintain the minimum standards listed below:
a. Possess a Juris Doctorate from an accredited school of law;
b. Be a member in good standing of the Missouri Bar;
c. Have a minimum of 5 years full-time practice in the field of law, preferably in the State of Missouri. Experience in one or more of the following areas of practice is preferred: Litigation, workers compensation, employment law, Missouri Sunshine Law, or criminal procedure and prosecution;
d. Possess a valid Missouri and Kansas license as an attorney and complete all required continuing legal education hours on an annual basis;
e. Possess computer skills, including but not limited to proficiency in Word Perfect, Power Point or other slideshow software, Excel or other spreadsheet software, and Westlaw computer research software;
f. Ability and experience to prepare and/or litigate civil law cases for municipal, state, and federal courts, and internal administrative hearings;
g. Excellent verbal and written skills and ability to read, write and speak the English language;
h. Possess a valid Missouri driver’s license and the ability to operate a motor vehicle and respond on-call as needed on any day or night; and
2. The incumbent is prohibited from performing outside legal services for remuneration.
Physical Requirements: Must have the ability to lift, carry and transport files, up to and including full ‘banker size’ boxes (up to 25 lbs.).
Job Location: (Place where work is performed.)
This position operates in a standard office or court environment approximately 85% of the time, with the majority of the remaining 15% occurring in a classroom environment or in meetings and hearings.
Equipment: (Machines, devices, tools, etc., used in job performance.)
a. Personal computer and laptop;
b. Copier/Scanner/Fax;
c. Smart phone cell phone;
d. Dictaphone, if desired to use; and
e. Motor vehicle.
Interested Parties/How to Apply:
Applicants interested in being considered for the position must submit a cover letter and a resume to
Mindy.Davis@kcpd.org, to be received no later than November 15, 2021.
All members must obtain a residence within 30 statute (air) miles of the nearest Kansas City, Missouri city limit within the state of Missouri during the full term of their employment with the Department.
https://kcpd.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/lookup/index.html?appid=2e0311b882d84e6cb8ed17fc15539761
Selected applicants who meet all of the qualifications will be contacted individually to schedule an interview.
Selected applicants must submit to a MMPI, CVSA, post-offer physical examination and routine drug screen.