ATTORNEY

ATTORNEY

Department of Environment

Commissioner's Office

Number of Positions: 1

(Additional vacancies possible pending budget approval)

Starting Salary: $90, 144.00

This position is open to the public and all current City employees covered under the City's collective bargaining agreement with AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY, AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES (AFSCME) - BARGAINING UNIT 1, 3, 4 & 5. Only employees in City job titles in this bargaining unit are eligible to bid.

BID INSTRUCTIONS: Apply on the bid site: https://chicago.taleo.net/careersection/103/jobsearch.ftl?lang=en AND

1. Check the box on your profile titled "Currently employed by the City of Chicago"

2. Enter your employee ID (located on your pay stub labeled 'payee/employee number')

3. Select your correct bargaining unit

FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS WILL RESULT IN A REJECTED BID APPLICATION

Applications for this position will be accepted until 11:59pm CDT on 05/13/2026.

Under direction, provides legal counsel to a department on matters that affect the department's

operations, and performs related duties as required

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

* Advises the Commissioner and DOE management on legal issues related to departmental operations as they are affected by local, state, or federal laws, statutes, or contracts.

* Reviews and interprets various documents (e.g., legal documents, contractual requirements, federal or state rulemakings, ) for DOE management

* Oversees the administrative hearings process for DOE's environmental unit, supervising the staff who appear at Department of Administrative Hearings (DOAH) each week.

* Reviews violation notices and inspection reports for accuracy and legal correctness.

* Coordinates with the Department of Law (DOL) to enforce the Chicago Municipal Code's environmental protection provisions.

* Makes enforcement decisions in consultation with program supervisors.

* Negotiates and drafts settlement agreements.

* Prepares summary abatement and cease & desist orders, issues demand letters to responsible parties, and other official documents.

* Reviews and helps develop permit conditions for regulated facilities; evaluates variance requests and writes detailed decision letters.

* In collaboration with DOL, drafts proposed ordinance amendments and rulemaking, and provides guidance on legislative positions.

* Works with technical staff, drafts new rules and responds to comments.

* Develops internal policy documents and guidelines on enforcement procedures, public outreach, environmental justice initiatives, and related topics.

* Coordinates with Mayor's Office and DOL regarding sensitive or complex FOIA requests.

* May meet with community members and attorneys representing the City, other public jurisdictions, or private parties regarding issues affecting DOE and advises them or states the department's position on legal matters.

* Responds to requests from the Office of the Inspector General and to legal questions from staff in other departments

* Conducts training for staff in relevant environmental and other legal issues, including creating and updating training curriculum and materials

* Assists in the development of other departmental policies, procedures, and programs, as required

* Completes tasks as designated by the Commissioner or First Deputy Commissioner.

Additional duties may be required for this position

Location: 2 N La Salle Street

Days: Monday - Friday

Hours: 8:30am - 4:30pm

THIS POSITION IS IN THE CAREER SERVICE

• Graduation from an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school, plus two (2) years of work experience in the legal profession as a licensed attorney

Licensure, Certification, or Other Qualifications

• Admission to the Illinois Bar (or eligible for admission on motion to the Illinois Bar pursuant to Illinois Supreme Court Rule 705)

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS

This position requires applicants to complete an interview which will include a written exercise and/or a skills assessment as part of the interview. The interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position, based on the oral and written parts of the interview will be selected

For Information on our employees benefits please visit our benefits website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fin/benefits-office.html

For Information on our salary and title structure visit our classifications website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/dhr/supp_info/JobClassification/2025_Classification_and_Pay_Plan.pdf

APPLICATION EVALUATION: Initial evaluation will be based on information provided on the application and the documents submitted. The Department of Human Resource staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow any and all required Employment/Hiring Plan provisions, federal, state and local laws, and Collective Bargaining Agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of Chicago.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY: To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference for applicants who meet minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces, and/or residents of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA) and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates to be referred to departments for consideration. These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders, as Collective Bargaining Agreements define the hiring process for bidders. For positions covered by a collective bargaining agreement, bidders will be considered before external candidates. To learn more about our hiring practices click here.

ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.

The City of Chicago in an Equal Employment Opportunity, Military Friendly, and Fair Chance Employer.

City of Chicago

Brandon Johnson, Mayor