Salary: $148,239.79 - $217,571.79 Annually
Location : 700 N. Main St., Las Cruces, NM
Job Type: Full-time Regular
Job Number: B008 11-26 LD
Department: Legal
Opening Date: 11/04/2026
Closing Date: 11/18/2026 11:59 PM Mountain
Nature of WorkThe chief legal advisor to the City Manager and City Council, and Director of the Legal Department. Provide legal opinions and strategy, minimize risk and liability, manage legal issues, and represent the City in administrative proceedings and legal actions.
Work Situation Factors:
Position involves competing demands, performing multiple tasks, working to deadlines, occasional work beyond normal business hours, holidays, and weekends, and responding to customer issues. Regular attendance is an essential function of this job to ensure continuity of services. Position is subject to drug testing in accordance with applicable State and Federal regulations and City of Las Cruces policies.
Physical Factors:
Light physical demands; mostly desk work. Frequent to constant use of a personal computer.
Environmental Factors:
Work is performed primarily in an office environment but may also require travel to other facilities and locations with exposure to all weather and traffic conditions.
First consideration may be given to current City of Las Cruces employees who fully meet the minimum requirements.
Meeting or exceeding the minimum qualifications does not guarantee an invitation to participate in the process.
This position is graded DR40.
Duties and Responsibilities - Develops and implements goals to meet City strategic plans and objectives; reviews strategies and determines resource requirements and program goals and deliverables; determines scope and priorities of projects; develops services and policies to support present and future needs.
- Plans, organizes, coordinates, and directs assigned operations; identifies and monitors long and short-range goals and objectives; evaluates a wide variety of issues, and recommends and implements solutions to safeguard the City's operations; manages Department performance and productivity; directs the continuous improvement of the work products; assures the overall integrity of the support and functionality of provided services; develops, evaluates, and manages assigned functions, budgets and projects.
- Represents the City in a variety of legal proceedings at the local, state, and federal level in administrative hearings or before courts; reviews, approves, and negotiates legal issues; assures that legal issues are resolved within City policy guidelines; reviews and evaluates pertinent decisions, policies, regulations and other legal matters; attends City Council meetings to provide legal advice and information, and present findings and recommendations; manages municipal legal issues.
- Consults and provides legal advice and counsel to City officials, employees, departments, and agencies; conducts legal review and research to make recommendations on issues arising out of City policies, resolutions, ordinances, state and federal law, and related regulations; negotiates agreements with opposing parties and counsel on behalf of the City; assesses and evaluates claims against the City, labor union matters, contracts, leases, personnel matters, financial, personal injury, property matters, and criminal prosecutions; anticipates problems and pursues solutions; establishes legal strategies, identifies policy and compliance issues, and proposes solutions.
- Represents the City in litigation, negotiations, settlements, and other municipal legal proceedings; provides legal assessments and recommendations; conducts factual and legal analysis to determine whether legal issues should be prosecuted or defended based on the facts of law and evidence; coordinates and conducts conferences and mediation with opposing parties concerning settlement of cases; conducts legal research; gathers and compiles legal instruments and documents; identifies and evaluates records and other information; prepares and presents various special and recurring reports, legal documents, analysis, and recommendations as requested and required.
- Guides and assists professional legal staff; provides coaching, counseling and professional assistance on legal skills and professional development and responsibilities; assists legal staff in the development of case strategy, legal theories and other issues; manages the activities of the City Legal Department and staff; prioritizes and assigns cases and projects; trains and evaluates staff; counsels, coaches and instructs employees as required; provides for training, develops staff skills and conducts performance evaluations.
- Develops and monitors department budget, approves budget expenditures; prepares and reviews operational analysis of program costs.
- Monitors trends in municipal law and risk management issues to recommend operational, procedural, and policy improvements; directs and coordinates multi-jurisdictional issues; manages, allocates, and coordinates numerous internal and external resources; assures effective communication of issues and strategies.
Minimum QualificationsJuris Doctor Degree AND seven (7) years of experience in a government legal practice, including three (3) years of administrative and management experience to include supervising personnel. A combination of education, experience, and training may be applied in accordance with City of Las Cruces policy.
Licenses/Certification(s):
Valid Class D driver's license may be required or preferred. If applicable, position requires an acceptable driving record in accordance with City of Las Cruces policies. Must be a member of the New Mexico State Bar Association, licensed to practice law in the State of New Mexico, and remain active with all New Mexico Bar annual requirements.
If not licensed in the State of New Mexico at the time of hire, applicant must apply for a Public Employee Limited License issued under NMRA 15-301.1 and must obtain a regular State of New Mexico bar license within one (1) year of the date of hire. Associated costs will be the responsibility of the applicant.
Knowledge, Skills, and AbilitiesComprehensive Knowledge of: management and personnel administration methods, techniques and policies; State of New Mexico criminal and civil statutes, rules, case law, administrative orders, policies and procedures, and applicable Federal rules and regulations; personnel and labor management laws, rules and regulations; legal precedents and court decisions impacting municipal government; court procedures, rules of evidence, protocols and strategies; legal research methods, techniques, sources, databases and other research tools; legal case management procedures and techniques; principles and protocols for the evidentiary gathering of information, documents, financial records and other data that may be used in court and legal hearings; City protocols and strategies of negotiation and litigation; principles of the development, refinement and presentation of legal strategies; City ordinances, codes, policies, resolutions, and agreements; business and personal computers, and technical software applications.
Ability to: use initiative and independent judgment within established procedural guidelines; assess, prioritize and delegate multiple tasks, projects and demands; demonstrate effective interpersonal relationships in bringing people together to solve problems; prepare and administer budgets; supervise, lead, and delegate tasks and authority; communicate effectively in verbal and written forms; establish and maintain effective working relations with employees, officials, other agencies and the public.
Skills in: assuming executive level responsibilities and making appropriate decisions; researching and identifying precedence in case law; negotiating agreements; litigating cases in a legal hearing and courtroom setting; reviewing and assessing legal issues and documents; effectively assessing, interpreting and applying complex criminal and civil laws to information, evidence and other data compiled; utilizing and evaluating electronic legal research and on-line systems; developing and implementing long-range plans and procedures for cost effective management of allocated resources; working effectively with labor union leadership, and effectively negotiating in a union environment; interpreting technical instructions and analyzing complex variables.
To view a summary of benefits offered by the City of Las Cruces,
01
Are you a current City of Las Cruces employee? (If you fail to include this information under the work experience section of your application, you may be disqualified from the process).
02
Do you have the required Juris Doctor degree? (If you fail to include this information under the education section of your application, you may be disqualified from the process.)
03
I understand and accept that if my response is "YES" to the question above, I agree to provide proof of the required degree and/or transcript (official or unofficial) if recommended for the position.
04
Do you have, at a minimum, seven (7) years of experience in a government legal practice? (If you fail to include this information under the work experience section of your application, you may be disqualified from the process.)
05
Do you have, at a minimum, three (3) years of administrative and management experience to include supervising personnel? (If you fail to include this information under the work experience section of your application, you may be disqualified from the process).
06
Are you a current member of the New Mexico State Bar Association, licensed to practice law in the state of New Mexico?
07
I understand that if I am not licensed in the State of New Mexico at the time of hire, I must apply for a Public Employee Limited License issued under NMRA 15-301.1 and must obtain a regular State of New Mexico bar license within one (1) year of the date of hire. I will also be responsible for any associated costs.
08
Do you have a valid driver's license?
09
If you answered "yes" to the previous question above, please indicate the type of license, license number, expiration date, any restrictions or endorsements, and the state that issued the license. If none, type N/A.
Required Question
