General Counsel

This position is NOT in a collective bargaining unit.
DUTIES IN BRIEF: The General Counsel to the Council of the District of Columbia is the top legal
officer for the legislative branch of the District Government. The General Counsel's principal duties
include:
1. Legislation. The General Counsel is responsible for assisting members, committees, and staff in the
legislative drafting process, determining the legal sufficiency of proposed Council actions,
supervising the engrossment and enrollment of legislation, serving as the Council's advisor on
parliamentary procedures, and supervising the publication of the D.C. Official Code.
2. Litigation. The General Counsel represents the Council in matters before local and federal courts.
3. Agency Counsel. The General Counsel provides guidance to the members, committees, and staff on
matters related to interpretation of constitutional and statutory duties, government ethics,
procurement, personnel, and freedom of information matters.
4. Management. The General Counsel supervises a professional staff of eight lawyers, two
administrative assistants, and legal fellows and interns. In that role, the General Counsel must
manage the office's budget, technology needs, and personnel matters.
QUALIFICATIONS: The Office of General Counsel is a nonpartisan, apolitical office within a
legislative body with a diversity of political views and backgrounds. The General Counsel must possess
excellent analytical skills and care deeply about details of the written word, while at the same time being
able to make decisions under time constraints and explain those decisions to lawyers and non-lawyers.
The General Counsel must be able to represent the Council in public settings and in negotiations with
coordinate branches of District Government and the federal government.
The General Counsel must have supervisory experience and, preferably, a significant understanding of the
District of Columbia government and laws, experience in legislative drafting, and litigation before the
District's courts, as well as experience with ethics and Freedom of Information Act issues.
Must be a member in good standing of the District of Columbia Bar, or be an enrolled Bar member in
good standing of a state or territory and become a member of the District of Columbia Bar within 360
days of appointment (see D.C. Bar Rules of Professional Conduct R. 49(c)(4)).
DOMICILE REQUIREMENT: An appointee to the Legal Service is required to be domiciled in the District
of Columbia at the time of his or her appointment, or become a domiciliary of the District of Columbia
within 180 days of appointment, and shall maintain such domicile during the period of appointment. (D.C.
Official Code §§ 1-609.06(a) and 1-610.59; and 6 DCMR B 305.)
DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE: Pursuant to the requirements of the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988, the
individual selected to fill this position will, as a condition of employment, be required to notify his/her
immediate supervisor, in writing, not later than five (5) days after conviction of or a plea of guilty to a
violation of any criminal drug statue occurring in the workplace.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER: The District of Columbia government is an equal opportunity
employer.
NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATION: In accordance with the D.C. Human Rights Act of 1977, as
amended, D.C. Official Code section 2-1401.01 et seq., (Act) the Council of the District of Columbia does
not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived: race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital
status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, familial status, family responsibilities, matriculation,
political affiliation, disability, source of income, or place of residence or business. Sexual harassment is a
form of sex discrimination that is also prohibited by the Act. In addition, harassment based on any of the
above protected categories is prohibited by the Act. Discrimination in violation of the Act will not be
tolerated. Violators will be subject to disciplinary action.