Assistant Attorney

Overview

The City of Eugene City Attorney’s Office is seeking an Assistant City Attorney focused on civil litigation and providing counsel on a wide range of legal issues for City departments, management, employees, and City boards and commissions.

Final date to receive applications: Friday, February 27, 2026, at 5:00 pm PT

Application Type: Accepting Online Applications Only

Classification: This position may be filled at either the Assistant City Attorney 1 or Assistant City Attorney 2 level.

Salary: Assistant City Attorney 1: $97,614.40 - $131,809 annually. Assistant City Attorney 2: $ - $ annually. Starting pay within the range is based on relevant education and experience and is consistent with the Oregon Equal Pay Act.

Department, Division: Central Services Department, City Attorney’s Office

Position Information: Non-Represented, Exempt

Work Location: Eugene City Hall, 500

E. 4th Ave., Eugene, OR

Schedule: Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. with flexibility per business need.

Benefits: The City of Eugene offers robust and competitive benefits. See benefits summaries and information about all employee benefits. The position may qualify for up to an additional 5% bilingual pay; see Supplemental Information at the end of the posting for details.

Living & Working in Eugene: Information about living in Eugene and how the City operates is available on the City website.

This position will represent the City in civil litigation, primarily tort and section 1983 actions. The City is self-insured; the attorney will defend the City in civil litigation, and, as needed, work with outside counsel in defense of the City. The attorney will appear on behalf of the City, prepare and argue motions, respond to and conduct discovery, try cases, and participate in appeals as time allows.

The attorney will provide expert legal services to risk managers about claims and settlement evaluations; represent the City and its employees in administrative hearings, litigation, and appeals; and perform related duties as assigned.

Additional responsibilities are described in the Assistant City Attorney 1 and Assistant City Attorney 2 classification descriptions.

The successful candidate will have demonstrated skills and experience in the following areas:

• Strong knowledge of principles and practices of civil litigation, especially as they relate to governmental defendants.
• Defense of civil disputes including tort, employment, and civil rights matters.
• Experience providing sound legal advice to business and/or governments about risk management or claim review.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to establish and maintain highly effective professional working relationships.
• Ability to evaluate issues from multiple perspectives, make recommendations, receive feedback, and implement changes.
• Ability to balance multiple priorities while effectively representing the City of Eugene in litigation matters.

We value diverse experiences and encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply. A note on equal opportunity: we are interested in the best candidate for the job, who may bring transferable skills from a variety of experiences.

Minimum Qualifications

Assistant City Attorney 1

Experience: Some experience in the practice of civil defense law, preferably in Oregon.

Training: Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school. A judicial clerkship after graduation is desirable.

Assistant City Attorney 2

Experience: Five years of increasingly responsible experience in the practice of civil defense law in Oregon, preferably in a governmental setting.

Training: Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school. Judicial clerkship after graduation is desirable.

License or Certificates:

• Admission to the Bar of the State of Oregon; admission to practice law before Oregon courts.
• Continuation of ongoing continuing legal education as required by the State Bar.
• Possession of or ability to obtain and maintain an appropriate, valid Oregon driver’s license.

Background: Must pass a background check and have the ability to obtain a CJIS level 3 certification within 90 days of hire.

Selection Process:

App…