Senior Staff Attorney - Public Safety Advisor

Senior Staff Attorney - Public Safety Advisor
Hiring Range: $9,628 - $10,836 Monthly

New to the City of Grand Junction Team? 

Receive 40 hours Paid Time Off starting on your hire date! 

About the Position:

The Senior Staff Attorney - Public Safety Advisor is a unique position that provides legal advice and services on criminal and civil law to the Grand Junction Police and Fire Departments. The position also advises Chiefs and department personnel on complex matters including policies and procedures, litigation, accreditation compliance, and new legislation. Candidates should enjoy challenging legal work, collaboration, and problem-solving.

About Our Culture:

At the City of Grand Junction, we lead the way with continuous improvement, collaborative partnerships, and exemplary service. Our core values are demonstrated by our willingness to challenge the status quo, ability to work together using all areas of expertise to achieve a common goal, and commitment to fulfilling the needs of our community through thoughtful interactions.

What You'll Do:

• Legal Counsel to the Grand Junction Police & Fire Departments: Provide comprehensive, timely, and sound legal advice to the Police and Fire Department’s leadership and staff on matters related to their official duties. This includes interpreting laws, court decisions, and regulations as they apply to agency operations and advising on the lawful scope of authority, procedures, and enforcement activities.
• Policy Development and Compliance: Assist in drafting, reviewing, and updating department policies, procedures, manuals, and training bulletins to ensure compliance with current law and best practices. Recommend revisions to policies in light of new legislation or court rulings, and advise the department regarding policy violations and disciplinary matters. Ensure the agency meets legal standards for accreditation and adheres to relevant municipal codes and state/federal requirements.
• Training and Education: Develop and deliver in-service training to officers and other department members on legal topics such as constitutional law (e.g. search and seizure, interrogation, use of force), updates in criminal law, civil liability, and relevant court decisions. Provide regular updates on changes in laws or emerging legal issues, and prepare training materials or “legal bulletins” that summarize important court rulings for law enforcement personnel.
• Immediate Legal Guidance: Be available to provide on-the-spot legal advice during critical incidents or active investigations when urgent decisions are required. This may involve after-hours telephone consultations or responding to incident scenes to advise officers on legal questions that cannot wait for formal research, ensuring timely guidance on matters like employment or use-of-force situations.
• Litigation Support and Representation: Review claims, lawsuits, and complaints made against the department or its employees (e.g. civil rights claims, tort claims) and advise on risk mitigation. In coordination with the City Attorney, represent or assist in representing the department in legal proceedings and administrative hearings, such as civil litigation arising from law enforcement activities, court motions to quash subpoenas, or appeals of administrative decisions. Work with outside counsel as needed, and help prepare cases by gathering and reviewing evidence and drafting legal documents.
• Records and Information Law: Advise the department on compliance with public records laws and requests, including the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) and Criminal Justice Records Act. Oversee or assist with responses to subpoenas, discovery requests, and open records requests, ensuring sensitive law enforcement information is handled properly. Represent the department and Records Custodian in court as necessary to defend decisions on record disclosure or to seek protective orders.
• Interagency and Internal Coordination: Confer regularly with the City Attorney, as well as other legal advisors or prosecutors, to ensure consistent legal positions and strategy. Participate in command staff meetings and internal reviews (such as Professional Standards/Internal Affairs investigations) to provide legal insight on investigations, disciplinary actions, and policy compliance. Collaborate with other public safety agencies’ legal advisors and attend professional association meetings or workgroups to stay abreast of trends and best practices in public safety legal advising.
• Legislative and Regulatory Analysis: Monitor and analyze new or proposed legislation and administrative rules affecting public safety and law enforcement. Advise the Police and Fire Chief(s) and city officials of pertinent changes in the law and recommend appropriate action or policy changes. Prepare formal legal opinions or briefings on complex issues as requested, and draft or review municipal ordinances and resolutions related to public safety operations.
• General Legal Support: Provide counsel on a wide array of legal issues that arise in a law enforcement context, which may include questions of criminal procedure, search and seizure, government employment law, governmental liability and immunity (e.g. the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act), and coordination during emergencies or disaster response. Ensure that all advice and representation is conducted with professionalism and in accordance with the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct.
   

To view the full job description, click here.

What We're Looking For:

• Three years of increasingly responsible experience as a police legal advisor, prosecutor, or municipal attorney
• A Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school
• Admission to and in good standing with the Colorado Bar

Notice to Applicants:

In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, we kindly request that you do not include the dates of your education to include years of attendance or graduation on your application, resume or attachments.

City of Grand Junction Employee Childcare Facility: 

We know finding a quality childcare provider can be challenging, that's why the City of Grand Junction is proud to offer its employees affordable childcare through the City of Grand Junction Childcare Facility (GJCCF). GJCCF offers childcare for children ages 6 weeks (infants) to 6 years of age (preschool). With flexible scheduling and highly trained Early Childhood Education professionals, know that your little one will be in good hands while you support your community.

Explore the Area:

Grand Junction, Colorado is the gateway to the mountains and canyonlands of western Colorado and eastern Utah. Centrally located between Denver, CO (250 miles east) and Salt Lake City, UT (270 miles west), Grand Junction is surrounded by 1.2 million acres of public land. Residents enjoy world-class whitewater rafting on the Colorado and Green Rivers, golfing, fishing, skiing and snowboarding, and exploring mountain bike and hiking trails through the Colorado National Monument and the Grand Mesa National Forest. Grand Junction has a robust downtown and hosts multiple art, music, food, and market events annually. With a population of over 150,000 in Mesa County (65,000 within the City limits) we have many of the big town amenities without the big town stresses such as traffic and trail congestion. With an average of 245 days of sunshine, Grand Junction is the perfect place to work and play. 

Learn more about our area on Visit Grand Junction's website and Instagram!

At the City of Grand Junction, we proudly operate as an Equal Opportunity Employer, purposely building an inclusive workforce representative of various cultures, perspectives, and experiences. We believe in respect for all and do not discriminate based on hair, race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status or any other status protected by applicable federal, state or local law.

If you have any questions or need assistance or accommodations due to a disability, please contact our Human Resources office at 970.244.1512.