CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE LAW OFFICER

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Chief Investigative Law Officer

Civilian Office of Police Accountability-COPA

Number of Positions: 1 (Additional vacancies possible pending budget approval)

Starting Salary: $112,608/YR

Under the direction of the COPA General Counsel, the Chief Investigative Law Officer supervises the attorneys and Civilian Office of Police Accountability legal section. This role is also responsible for the review of legal matters involving allegation of excessive force, search and seizure violations, or other misconduct against members of the Chicago Police Department.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Consults with COPA investigative staff on legal issues related to the investigations and prepares and supervises the preparation of legal memoranda, reports, advisories, and notifications detailing investigative findings and recommendations to ensure legal analysis of case investigations with established protocols and quality control standards.
• Supervises and assigns caseloads to staff attorneys, prepares work schedules and monitors staff productivity to ensure the timely and efficient processing of case assignments
• Assists in formulating and implementing policies and procedures to the COPA investigative process
• Confers with the Law Department to assist with the prosecution or defense of investigations, policy recommendations, and other matters as needed.
• Reviews investigative files and records to ensure that findings and recommendations are complete and adhere to established ordinances, regulations, and legal standards.
• Supervises and performs legal research of local, State and Federal ordinances, laws, statutes relative to COPA operations and recommends improvements for compliance.
• Coordinates legal staff training and participates in the development of training for COPA investigative staff on a variety of legal issues.
• Consults with COPA management to evaluate staffing needs for staff attorneys and paralegals.

NOTE: The list of essential duties is not intended to be inclusive; there may be other duties that are essential to positions within the class.

Location: COPA 1615 W Chicago Ave

Hours: 8:30 am to 4:30 p.m.

Days: Monday-Friday

Salary: $112,608/YR

THIS POSITION IS EXEMPT FROM THE CAREER SERVICE

Graduation from an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school, plus five (5) years of work experience in the legal profession as a licensed attorney, of which (2) two years are in a role related to criminal, administrative, or civil investigations.

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

* Work experience in managing or coordinating the work of attorneys or investigators, is strongly preferred

NOTE: A writing sample of no more than ten (10) pages will be required at the time of interview

Writing Sample - All Writing samples submitted in consideration for employment must comply with the following criteria:

1. The sample may either be a professional project report, academic project report, or an official

communication related to a professional or academic project or a work-related report or

communication

2. Each writing sample submitted must be no more than (10) pages

3. Each writing sample must be accompanied by a cover page explaining:

a. the sample's original purpose (e.g., a writing class, a professional project, a memorandum for an employer, etc.).

b. when (MM/DD/YYYY) and for whom the sample was written.

c. the extent of editing by any third party; AND

d. if the writing sample is an excerpt from a larger document, identify that larger document and provide context, if necessary

APPLICATION EVALUATION: Initial evaluation will be based on information provided on the application and the documents submitted. 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 to 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 and Military Friendly Employer.

The City of Chicago is committed to providing fair chance hiring and welcomes applicants with past convictions, recognizing the value of a diverse workforce and the potential for growth and positive change.

City of Chicago

Brandon Johnson, Mayor

Applications for this position will be accepted from March 10, 2025 until 11:59p.m. CST on March 24, 2025. No exceptions will be made.