What are the responsibilities and job description for the Law Clerk position at Olathe?
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Employment Type
Intern (Fixed Term) (Trainee)
Job Summary
The City of Olathe, Kansas Legal Department provides opportunities for both paid and unpaid Law Clerk opportunities for students who have completed their 1L year of law school. A flexible schedule is available; however, the student should plan to work in-person in the City Attorney's Office during normal business hours. Recruitment is typically handled in coordination with law school programs directly in conjunction with their established selection and application processes.
To complete the application for a paid Law Clerk opportunity, complete your application initially through your school's program and then subsequently through this job posting.
The City of Olathe is the fourth largest city in Kansas, and a thriving hub of development and growth. Olathe has a population of approximately 155,000. The City provides water, sewer, solid waste collection, fire and police protection, municipal court, libraries, parks and recreation services, and builds and maintains streets. The City has about 1,000 full-time employees and an annual operating budget of approximately $571 million.
The City of Olathe's Legal Department has three main functions : (1) the City Attorney's Office, providing day-to-day legal counsel and representation to the City Council, City Manager, and City staff, (2) the City Prosecutor's Office, prosecuting misdemeanor and traffic violations of the Olathe Municipal Code in the Olathe Municipal Court, appeals to Johnson County District Court, and diversion and probation monitoring, and (3) the Olathe Municipal Court, ensuring the timely and unbiased operation of Municipal Court dockets and the efficient processing of citations issued in Olathe.
The law clerks are embedded in the City Attorney's Office, which is located at Olathe City Hall (immediately east of the Johnson County Courthouse). The City Attorney's Office has four attorneys who provide legal services to the City including drafting ordinances, resolutions, and contracts; researching legal questions from and providing legal opinions to City departments, the City Manager, and City Council; negotiating economic development projects and real estate transactions; handling or supervising litigation; working on legal issues pertaining to planning, zoning, and land use applications; and acquiring property through eminent domain for public construction projects. The Prosecutor's Office has four attorneys who prosecute misdemeanor criminal matters and traffic citations in the Olathe Municipal Court and appeals to Johnson County District Court. Two full-time municipal judges (both attorneys) preside over cases in the Olathe Municipal Court.
We are looking for students interested in municipal law with an interest in and passion for public service. The primary task of the law clerks is to support the day-to-day work of the City Attorney's Office attorneys by performing research and writing brief memos on the vast array of legal issues that emerge based on the City's broad portfolio of public services and activities. Past law clerks have performed research and made recommendations on a wide array of subjects, including constitutional issues related to City ordinances; ADA compliance; personnel investigations; state and federal telecommunications laws; zoning and land and use law issues; real estate acquisitions, sales, and leases; review of economic development agreements; and environmental, water, and public utility regulatory issues. Past clerks have also drafted a multitude of ordinances amending the Olathe Municipal Code on subjects including the Public Offense and Traffic codes; business licensing and operating regulations; boards and commissions of the City Council; liquor licensing; public property regulations; water, sewer, and stormwater requirements for development projects; and the Unified Development Ordinance.
An Assistant City Attorney will provide overall supervision for the law clerks. Projects may be assigned by any of the City Attorney's Office attorneys who will provide direct supervision and feedback on individual assignments.
For more details, review the full job details and requirements below.
Law Clerks work in the City Attorney's Office or Prosecutor's Office performing a wide variety of legal tasks on a part-time or time limited full-time basis and in conjunction with their pursuit of a law degree.
Key Responsibilities
- Works on legal assignments supporting the work of the City Attorney's Office, Prosecutor's Office, or Municipal Court.
- Handles confidential documents, if needed.
- For the City Attorney's Office, researches and analyzes laws, policies, and other information and presents results and conclusions in an organized and concise way.
- For the Prosecutor's Office, assists staff with case preparation, research, and reviewing requests for diversion and pleas.
Qualifications
Experience : Must have proficiency with data entry and computers, preferably with Microsoft Office programs such as Word, Excel, etc.
Education : Must be currently enrolled in an accredited law degree program at a university.
Licenses and Certificates : None required for City Attorney's Office. Must obtain KCJIS clearance for Prosecutor's Office.
