Job Description
The City of Chicago Law Department is seeking an attorney for the position of Assistant Corporation Counsel in its Torts Division. Attorneys in the Torts Division have an active litigation and trial practice. The Assistant Corporation Counsel’s work will be in either its personal injury defense or workers’ compensation practice area, depending on the experience and interests of the applicant and the current needs of the Division. Attorneys in either area will work with a variety of City Departments and be responsible for their own individual docket of cases. The personal injury defense work involves representing the City and its employees primarily in state court. Torts attorneys have an intensive discovery and motion practice, retain and depose medical and other experts, engage in hearings and jury trials, and make recommendations and participate in settlement negotiations. The workers’ compensation defense work involves analyzing claims and medical records, writing motions and draft opinions, taking medical depositions, presenting experts, making recommendations and negotiating settlements, conducting hearings and trials before arbitrators and the Illinois Industrial Commission, and representing the City in appeals to the Circuit Court of Cook County. Knowledge, Skills And Abilities Ideal candidates will possess the following: Interest and/or experience in litigation and trial work and/or workers’ compensation; Effective communication skills; Demonstrated strength in legal research and writing; Self-starter with the ability to take initiative as demonstrated by past achievements and leadership; Ability to work well with others and manage workflow and deadlines; and Class rank in the top 50% of graduating law school class, or academic achievement as shown by grade point average, honors, participation in: law review, law journal, moot court, judicial externship/internship, or other activities indicating record of academic excellence. Graduation from an American Bar Association accredited law school with a Juris Doctor degree. Admission to the Illinois Bar in good standing with the Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission (or eligible for admission on motion to the Illinois Bar pursuant to Illinois Supreme Court Rule 705). Disclaimer - "Accredited" means any American law school that has passed and maintains the requirements of accreditation by the American Bar Association ( www.americanbar.org ). Mandatory Submission Terms You must submit an online application by May 20, 2026 including the items listed below: Cover letter that (1) includes the position title and job number as noted on the posting; (2) specifically identifies how you meet the minimum qualifications and have the knowledge, skills, and abilities listed; Resume; Law school transcript (official or unofficial); One writing sample; and Current printout of your attorney registration status from the Illinois ARDC website (or your admitted state bar's equivalent including your state Public Record of Discipline and Pending Proceedings) Salary: $85,704.00 - $149,556.00 (salary is based on a variety of factors including experience and credentials) Click to view our generous benefits package 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 NOTE REGARDING PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS: Working for the City of Chicago Department of Law may qualify you for loan forgiveness under the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. For detailed information, visit www.StudentAid.gov/publicservice or contact your federal loan servicer. NOTE: Application technical issues may be solved through the use of Google Chrome as a browser. NOTE: Candidates experiencing trouble uploading the required documents to our system may e-mail the documents to: DOL.Application