Public Service, Property and a Different Kind of Hustle: How I Built My Version of the American Dream
I was born in the Bronx in 1981 into a family in which public service was not an abstract concept. It was simply what people around me did.
My mother worked for New York State at the Arthur Kill Correctional Facility on Staten Island. When that prison closed, she transferred to Fishkill Correctional Facility. Her parents- my maternal grandparents- both worked at the City University of New York’s City College. On my father’s side, my grandmother worked for the New York City Board of Education.
Government work, in one form or another, runs deeply through my family.
Perhaps it is not surprising, then, that I eventually made a career in New York City government myself. What I could not have predicted was the route I would take to get there- or that a career in public service would become just one part of a much larger effort to build the life I wanted.
My family moved around somewhat when I was young. After the Bronx, we spent several years in New City, in Rockland County, followed by a period in Forest Hills, Queens, before eventually settling in Roslyn Heights on Long Island.
My father was an endodontist, and by the time I was growing up in Roslyn Heights he had created a very good life for our family.
I understood from a young age that when I eventually had a family of my own, I wanted to be able to give them a life at least equal to the one my father had given me.
That became one of my benchmarks for success.
The interesting part is that I got there by taking almost the opposite path.
My father became a highly trained dental specialist. I became a civil servant, accumulated graduate degrees, invested in real estate and spent years juggling a government career with what can only be described as a different type of hustle.
Different road. Similar destination.
And that has taught me quite a bit about how many different ways there are to “make it.”
An Education That Didn’t Follow a Straight Line
I graduated from The Wheatley School in Old Westbury in 1999.
Wheatley had an enormous influence on me. It was an academically ambitious environment in which college was essentially assumed to be the next step.
I went to the University at Albany and studied history, with a minor in political science.
But even that description does not quite capture what I actually studied.
I jokingly refer to legislative affairs as my unofficial major.
I accumulated more than 36 credits through legislative internships and related work, allowing me to complete college in three years. Those experiences exposed me to government not merely as something discussed in textbooks, but as an institution populated by real people making real decisions.
I worked around the legislative process in Albany and had opportunities that, looking back, were remarkable for someone so young. I had the opportunity to intern for former President Bill Clinton and, through my political and legislative experiences, met figures including Gov. George Pataki, then-Assemblyman and now State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, then-Council Member and now Attorney General Letitia James, and former Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Politics and government stopped being distant things that happened on television.
They became workplaces.
After graduating from Albany, I enrolled at Albany Law School.
I lasted one semester.
At the time, I simply wasn’t happy there. Walking away from law school could easily have looked like failure, particularly after setting out on a professional track that seemed clear and prestigious.
I returned home to Roslyn Heights instead.
It turned out to be one of many moments in my life when abandoning the conventional route created room for another one.
I subsequently earned a Master of Public Administration from Baruch College, followed by an MBA with a concentration in Computer Information Systems.
One of the interesting things about studying in New York is that the classroom can sometimes become a cross-section of the city itself. During my MBA studies, Carl Heastie—who would later become speaker of the New York State Assembly—was in one of my classes.
I later earned a Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management from Columbia University. Chelsea Clinton was among my classmates during my time there.
Years later, while balancing career and family, I went back yet again and completed a Doctor of Public Health at SUNY Downstate in 2025.
If there is a pattern in my education, it is that I have rarely been able to leave well enough alone.
Government interested me.
So did management.
Management led me toward business.
Technology became increasingly important.
Health policy interested me.
Eventually, those subjects that might once have seemed disconnected became surprisingly complementary.
Today I work at the intersection of government, technology, finance, procurement and administration.
Sometimes Other People See Something in You First
Interestingly, before I ever thought of myself as an entrepreneur, someone else saw it.
Years ago, I was dating someone who herself owned a technology website built around a knowledge-sharing model that, in some respects, anticipated the kind of online question-and-answer community later made famous by platforms such as Stack Overflow.
She viewed me as entrepreneurial before I viewed myself that way.
At the time, I am not sure I agreed.
I had a government job. I was accumulating degrees. I wasn’t building a startup or walking around calling myself a founder.
But in retrospect, I understand what she was seeing.
Entrepreneurship does not always begin with incorporating a company or pitching investors.
Sometimes it is simply a way of looking at the world.
You see an opportunity.
You calculate the downside.
You try something other people might not try.
You look for ways to make limited resources work harder.
And you accept that sometimes you are going to be wrong.
That part of my personality was there long before I had a word for it.
The Finance Class in Which I Earned a C
One of the stranger lessons from my education is that some of the classes that influenced me most were not necessarily the ones in which I earned my best grades.
I took finance and earned a C.
Yet I absorbed enough from that class—and particularly from my professor—to begin thinking differently about markets, risk, leverage and volatility.
I have come to believe that sometimes the subjects in which we struggle most are precisely the subjects in which we have the most room to grow.
A high grade can confirm what you already understand.
A poor grade can tell you where the frontier is.
For me, finance became one of those frontiers.
At one point, I made what I now recognize was an extraordinarily aggressive financial decision. After tuition was paid, I had student-loan proceeds intended to cover living expenses. Rather than simply spending all of those funds on consumption, I began trading instruments tied to the VIX—the market’s volatility index—using what I had learned about financial markets.
It was risky.
I would not present it as a blueprint for anyone else.
But it worked for me.
And it became one of the pivotal financial episodes of my early adulthood.
Earlier that same year, I had already managed to purchase a legitimate one-bedroom apartment in a doorman building in Murray Hill in Manhattan.
Then I did something that, even looking back, seems improbable.
I purchased my first investment property for approximately $130,000.
In cash.
For someone building his career in government rather than medicine, law or Wall Street, that was an important moment.
It was evidence that there might be more than one path to the financial life I was trying to construct.
And yet the irony is hard to miss.
The finance class that helped give me some of the intellectual tools to do it was a class in which I had received a C.
That experience permanently changed the way I think about grades.
Education matters enormously.
Grades matter somewhat.
But what ultimately matters is what you retain, what you apply and what you do with what you learned.
The Accidental Lesson That Led Me Into Real Estate
My interest in real estate had actually begun even earlier, and in a much less dramatic way:
I needed somewhere to live for the summer.
While I was in Albany working for the Legislature, a friend whom I had attended both high school and college with introduced me to his landlord.
Without that introduction, I might not have had a place to stay that summer.
More importantly, I might never have gotten an inside look at what being a landlord actually entailed.
Until then, real-estate ownership was mostly an abstraction to me.
Suddenly, I could see the mechanics.
Someone owned this property.
Someone had bought it, financed it, maintained it and rented it.
The rent I paid was part of an operating business.
That realization stayed with me.
Sometimes the experiences that change the trajectory of your life don’t announce themselves when they happen.
My friend never went on to pursue what most people would consider conventional financial success. Instead, he followed his father’s path working with horses—something he genuinely loves.
And as I’ve gotten older, I have come to appreciate that he may have succeeded in an equally important way.
He built a life around something he loves.
Money is one measurement of success.
It is not the only one.
I remain grateful to him because a seemingly ordinary introduction helped change the direction of my financial life.
Another friend—also someone I knew from both high school and college—would play an even more direct role.
We bought my first two investment properties together.
Then we kept going.
Properties three through ten followed.
Real estate eventually became a substantial part of my financial life.
But I would caution anyone against confusing owning rental properties with passive income.
There was very little passive about it.
There were mortgages, contractors, tenants, vacancies, insurance policies, property taxes, assessments, repairs and renovations.
There were good tenants and bad ones.
There were deals that worked beautifully and others that looked considerably better on a spreadsheet than they felt while living through them.
Over the years, my holdings expanded across New York and Florida.
Real estate taught me things that no MBA course ever could.
It taught me to understand cash flow.
It taught me to negotiate.
It taught me the danger of leverage.
It taught me how expensive deferred maintenance can become.
It taught me that every asset comes with obligations.
It also taught me that wealth is often built much less dramatically than people imagine:
One mortgage payment.
One renovation.
One rent check.
One decision at a time.
Meanwhile, I Became a Career Civil Servant
While all of this was happening, I was building another career simultaneously.
I entered New York City government in May 2004 at 23 years old.
Today, more than 22 years later, I serve as Director of IT Procurement and Budget for the New York City Department of Correction’s Information Technology Division.
My job is difficult to explain at a cocktail party.
Essentially, I work at the intersection between what technology professionals say an agency needs and the complicated financial, procurement and regulatory machinery through which New York City government must actually acquire it.
That can involve telecommunications, software, network infrastructure, cybersecurity, professional services, maintenance, hardware and large capital projects.
A technology group can identify the perfect technical solution, but government cannot simply pull out a credit card and buy it.
Someone has to determine the appropriate procurement vehicle.
Someone has to establish funding.
Someone has to evaluate whether the price is fair and reasonable.
Someone has to translate technical requirements into scopes, contracts, purchase orders and capital requests.
Someone has to answer the questions of oversight agencies.
Someone has to think about audits before an auditor ever arrives.
That is the world in which I have built my career.
In a typical year, my operation deals with hundreds of procurement actions and approximately 20 contracts. I have been responsible for an IT operating portfolio exceeding $20 million and work associated with a long-term capital program measured in the hundreds of millions.
Those figures are significant not because they sound impressive, but because it is public money.
I have always felt an obligation to approach taxpayer dollars with the same skepticism I would apply to my own.
Why does this cost this much?
Is there another vendor?
What did we pay last time?
What is the discount?
Can we negotiate?
Do we actually need it?
What happens if we don’t buy it?
That mindset has saved the City money, but it has also shaped the way I think outside of government.
Procurement, investing and real estate all reward many of the same habits:
Question assumptions.
Understand the numbers.
Negotiate.
Document your decisions.
What Public Service Gave Me
It would also be misleading to tell my story without acknowledging how much my public-service career itself made possible.
Government employment gave me stability.
It gave me health coverage.
It gave me a pension structure.
It gave me predictable income while I was accepting risks elsewhere.
And, critically, it gave me access to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
Over the course of all those degrees, I accumulated an enormous student-loan balance.
Eventually, approximately $262,000 of my remaining student-loan debt was forgiven through Public Service Loan Forgiveness after I satisfied the program’s requirements.
There is an interesting symmetry in that.
Education helped me become a more capable public servant.
Public service, in turn, ultimately helped resolve the debt I had accumulated pursuing that education.
That is one reason I resist simplistic descriptions of government employment as either an easy path or an economically inferior one.
Compensation is more complicated than salary.
A public-sector career is a package.
Salary matters.
So does a pension.
So does health insurance.
So does job stability.
So do loan-forgiveness programs when applicable.
So does the ability to plan over decades.
Those benefits created a foundation from which I could take risks in other areas of my life.
A Different Kind of Hustle
There were years in which, from the outside, my life probably looked unnecessarily complicated.
I was working in City government.
Going to school.
Trading and investing.
Managing properties.
Looking for investments.
Handling renovations.
Raising a family.
Saving for retirement.
Thinking about the next opportunity.
But there was a purpose behind it.
I remembered the standard of living my father had created for me.
I wanted to be able to provide that same security—or better—for my own family someday.
My father’s path was through dentistry.
Mine was through public service, education, investing and entrepreneurship.
His earning power came principally from his profession.
Mine developed through several streams working together.
I never became an endodontist.
I didn’t need to.
I found my own route.
And thankfully, I reached the goal I had set for myself.
Returning to Roslyn Heights
There is a particular satisfaction in eventually bringing your own family back to the place where you grew up.
I am now married with two young children, Dylan and Brooke, and we live in the same school district from which I graduated.
I once sat in those classrooms.
Now my children are growing up there.
That experience has changed the way I think about success.
When I was younger, success was easy to measure.
Get the degree.
Get the promotion.
Increase the salary.
Buy another property.
Grow the retirement account.
Those things still matter.
But being a husband and father changes the scoreboard.
Now success is also having enough flexibility to be present for your children.
It is creating stability.
It is giving your family experiences.
It is being able to help a parent as she gets older.
It is knowing that an unexpected expense is inconvenient rather than catastrophic.
And eventually, I hope, it will mean having the financial independence to choose work because I find it meaningful rather than because I require the paycheck.
Four Generations of Public Service
When I think about my career now, I sometimes see it as part of a much longer family story.
My maternal grandparents worked at City College.
My paternal grandmother worked for the Board of Education.
My mother worked in New York State corrections, first at Arthur Kill and later at Fishkill.
And I have spent more than two decades working for the City of New York.
Different agencies.
Different generations.
Different jobs.
But the same broad tradition.
Public employment has helped generations of families like mine build stable middle- and upper-middle-class lives.
That is something worth remembering in an era when government workers are sometimes reduced to caricatures.
A public-sector career can provide much more than a paycheck.
It can provide health insurance.
A pension.
Professional development.
Educational opportunities.
Stability.
And, if you use those advantages wisely, a foundation from which to build other things.
That last point has been particularly important in my life.
The stability of my government career gave me the confidence to accept risk elsewhere.
I could buy property.
I could invest.
I could continue my education.
I could think long term.
In that sense, my City career and my entrepreneurial activities were never opposing forces.
One made the other easier.
There Is More Than One Way to Make It
At 45, I have also become much less certain that financial achievement is the only meaningful definition of success.
I think again about the friend who introduced me to his landlord all those years ago.
By the conventional financial scoreboard, our lives went in very different directions.
But he followed his father into working with horses because that is what he loves.
There is something admirable about that.
Another friend became my partner in the first investments that fundamentally changed my financial trajectory.
Someone I once dated saw an entrepreneurial instinct in me before I recognized it myself.
A finance professor taught me ideas I ended up applying far beyond the grade I received in his class.
My father created one model for success.
My mother and grandparents showed me another through public service.
My friends unexpectedly helped create others.
The older I get, the more I believe the mistake is assuming there is only one road.
For one person, “making it” may mean becoming a doctor.
For another, becoming financially independent.
For another, owning a business.
For someone else, it may simply mean spending your working life around horses because that is where you are happiest.
The objective is not to duplicate someone else’s life.
It is to build one that works for you.
What Comes Next
I am now at an interesting midpoint.
I have been in City service for more than 22 years. Under my pension plan, I can retire at 57. If I stay until then, I will have accumulated roughly 36 years of public service.
Twelve years once would have sounded like an eternity.
At 45, it doesn’t.
I have begun thinking about what the second act might look like.
Higher education interests me.
After spending decades practicing public administration, procurement, budgeting, management and technology—and after earning a doctorate—I can envision eventually combining teaching with academic administration.
There is something appealing about completing that circle.
I spent much of my twenties sitting in classrooms at night after working all day.
Maybe I will spend part of my sixties standing in front of one.
And I would want to teach students not merely what textbooks say about government, but what actually happens when theory collides with budgets, vendors, regulations, deadlines, politics and operational necessity.
That is where public administration actually lives.
I would also want students to understand something my own experience taught me:
The grade is not necessarily the lesson.
The class in which you struggle may ultimately teach you more than the class in which you earn an A.
The career you abandon may create room for a better one.
The person who makes a casual introduction may alter your financial future.
And the stable government job that looks unexciting to someone at 23 may turn out to be one of the foundations upon which an extraordinary number of other opportunities can be built.
The Lesson I Would Give a Young Public Servant
If I could say one thing to someone beginning a government career today, it would be this:
Do not confuse stability with complacency.
Use stability.
Learn everything you can.
Continue your education.
Take the employer match.
Understand your pension.
Fund your retirement accounts.
Understand every benefit your public-service career makes available to you.
Build skills that have value outside your current job.
Buy assets if and when you can responsibly afford them.
Take calculated risks—but understand that a risk that works out is still a risk.
Develop more than one source of opportunity.
And pay attention to the people you meet along the way.
The person who alters your life may not be a CEO, politician or professor.
He may simply be your friend’s landlord.
My own life is proof of that.
A kid born in the Bronx moved through New City, Forest Hills and Roslyn Heights.
He finished college in three years largely by immersing himself in legislative internships.
He met presidents, governors, legislators and future leaders of New York.
He went to law school and quit after a semester.
He entered City government at 23.
He kept going to school.
He earned a C in finance and nevertheless used lessons from that class in ways that helped change his financial trajectory.
He bought a Manhattan apartment.
He managed to purchase his first investment property for $130,000 in cash.
He bought rental properties with friends.
He ultimately accumulated four graduate degrees, including a doctorate.
He accumulated substantial student debt along the way and later had approximately $262,000 forgiven through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
He built a career managing public money and technology procurement.
He became a husband and father.
And, by a route almost completely different from his father’s, he eventually created the kind of life he had hoped one day to provide for his own family.
I am proud of that.
But at 45, I am also increasingly aware that accumulating things—degrees, properties, titles, savings—isn’t the ultimate objective.
The purpose of building options is eventually to use them.
For most of my adult life, I have concentrated on building.
The next chapter is going to be about deciding what all of that building was for.
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ABOUT THE ROLE The Legislative Director serves as the primary advocate and liaison for the City of Alexandria with the Virginia General Assembly, the Governor’s administration, and federal policymakers. Reporting to a Deputy City Manager within the City Manager’s Office, this role is responsible for advancing the City’s legislative agenda at the state and federal levels, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities, and fostering collaborative relationships to support Alexandria’s policy and budgetary goals. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES - Lead the development, presentation, and execution of the City’s legislative agenda during General Assembly sessions. - Monitor and analyze state and federal legislation, budget proposals, and policy developments impacting the City. - Build and maintain strong working relationships with the General Assembly, Governor’s administration, congressional delegation, and legislative staff. - Manage the City’s federal lobbying program and coordinate advocacy for federal funding and grant opportunities. - Collaborate with City departments to align legislative priorities with operational needs. - Track legislation, identify risks and opportunities, and prepare clear briefings for City Council and leadership. - Advocate for state and federal funding to support City projects and initiatives. - Communicate legislative efforts to residents and stakeholders, and draft public statements and testimony. - Manage the legislative team and consultants, ensuring compliance with lobbying disclosure requirements. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - Four-Year College Degree. - At least five years of experience in government at the Federal, State, or local level, or an equivalent combination of experience and training. - Significant experience in the legislative process, specifically working with the Virginia General Assembly and navigating Virginia’s state legislative process. - Some knowledge of or experience in the Federal legislative process. - Significant experience with written and verbal presentations. Preferred Qualifications: - Master's Degree or law degree. - Experience in multiple levels or areas of government (local, state, federal; executive and legislative). - Experience in State and Federal budget development. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS - Temporary relocation to Richmond, Virginia when the Virginia General Assembly is in session, along with weekly trips between Alexandria and Richmond, and frequent trips during the rest of the year (the City funds these relocation and travel expenses). - Primary work location is the City of Alexandria. SELECTION PROCESS - Candidates must successfully complete pre-employment background checks, including but not limited to a criminal background check, as a condition of employment. HOW TO APPLY - Submit a complete application through the City of Alexandria's official employment portal prior to the closing date. - Refer to the Legislative Director Brochure for additional details on the role and application process. EMPLOYMENT DETAILS - Employer: City of Alexandria - Location: 421 King St., 2nd Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314 - Job Type: Full-Time - Job Number: 2027-00501 - Department: City Manager's Office - Opening Date: 08/14/2026 - Closing Date: 9/14/2026 11:59 PM Eastern - Bargaining Unit: N/A - Benefits: City covers 75-80% of Medical, Dental, and Vision; Retirement plans (City Supplemental, Virginia Retirement System, Voluntary Retirement Savings Plan); 13 days Administrative Leave; 13 paid holidays; 12 days Sick leave; 3 days Bereavement Leave per occurrence; $3,200 per fiscal year for Tuition Reimbursement and Professional Development; City-paid Long-Term Disability with buy-up options; Flexible Spending Accounts; up to $270 per month in Transit Benefits; access to on-site gyms near City Hall; onsite dental service twice per year; Employee Assistance Program (EAP); and various employee wellness and development programs.
ABOUT THE ROLE This is a highly responsible, professional law enforcement position managing and directing the activities, administration, and all functions of a municipal police department. The role is performed under the administrative direction of the City Manager, to whom the Chief reports directly. The Chief acts as an ambassador for the City, ensures the proactive establishment of objectives to safeguard lives and property, and leads the development of the department's organizational structure and standard operating procedures. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES - Performs professional administrative work to ensure the effective conduct of all functions, business, and services of the Police Department - Attends all meetings of the City Commission and aids in the enforcement of order under the direction of the presiding officer - Commands and directs all governmental and proprietary functions of the City Police Department - Directs and recommends hires, transfers, suspensions, layoffs, recalls, promotions, discharges, and discipline, and evaluates employees - Promulgates rules, regulations, and amendments for the appointment, promotion, discipline, and removal of employees - Establishes objectives to safeguard lives and property, forecasting future growth and assisting the City Planner in identifying potential traffic or crime problems - Leads the development and maintenance of an organizational structure and chain-of-command - Establishes standard operating procedures and delegates authority, responsibility, and accountability - Acts as a liaison for the criminal justice system to the executive branch of local government - Presents the future needs of personnel, equipment, and capital improvements by justifying appropriations - Implements and supports a problem-oriented policing philosophy - Identifies performance deficiencies and implements corrective measures such as training, mentoring, and counseling - Conducts performance evaluations and handles confidential information effectively and discreetly MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - Master's Degree in Police Administration or accepted equivalent - Minimum of six (6) years of progressively responsible law enforcement and police administration experience, including three (3) years in a command or administrative position - A comparable amount of relevant training, education, and/or experience may be substituted for the above qualifications SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS - Must possess a valid Florida Driver's License - Must meet all minimum requirements for the position of a police officer, as per Florida State Statute 943, and must have received police officer certification from the State of Florida - Preferred: Academic background including study at the Southern Police Institute or the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy - Must possess a background of proven management accomplishments, solid professional judgment, a progressive attitude, and strong leadership and interpersonal skills - Subject to recall around the clock for emergency response operations, which may require irregular work hours and relocation to emergency sites - Physical activities include light work: exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and negligible force constantly. Requires balancing, climbing, crouching, hearing, lifting, mental acuity, reaching, speaking, standing, stooping, talking, visual acuity, walking, and operation of a City vehicle HOW TO APPLY Apply through the City of North Port job portal. Refer to Class Code PD4. EMPLOYMENT DETAILS - Location: North Port, FL - Class Title: Chief of Police - Class Code: PD4 - Grade: PD4 - Job Type: Full-Time, Senior Management - Work Environment: Typically performed in a safe and secure work environment that may periodically have unpredicted requirements or demands - Risk/Safety Conditions: Minimal exposure or risk to physical health and/or physical safety - Equal Opportunity: The City of North Port, FL is an Affirmative Action/ADA and Equal Opportunity Employer. Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities are Encouraged to Apply.
ABOUT THE ROLE This is a highly responsible, full-time law enforcement position serving as the commander of a major bureau within the Police Department. The role involves extensive public contact and may require assuming the role of acting Police Chief in their absence. Work is performed under the direction of the Deputy Chief of Police. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES - Directs and manages the assigned division in accordance with department policies and procedures - Responsible for the training, welfare, and discipline of all employees in the division - Assigns duties and functions related to the processing of complaints and investigations - Oversees inspections of all personnel and equipment assigned to the division - Oversees proper use, maintenance, calibration, certification, and replacement of police equipment - Assumes personal command of any serious emergency situation, major catastrophe, or major crime - Evaluates the efficiency and effectiveness of administrative, business, and emergency operations - Directs the preparation of short-term and long-range plans and budgets based upon departmental objectives - Ensures compliance with accreditation standards within the assigned division - Acts as a spokesperson for the Police Department to the news media and community - Represents the department and/or the Police Chief at various governmental and community meetings - Interacts with all levels of government officials and the public MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Education: - Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in Criminal Justice, Law Enforcement, Police Administration, or a related field - Master's degree is preferred Experience: - Five (5) years of law enforcement supervisory experience Licenses and Certifications: - Possession of or ability to obtain a valid Florida driver's license by date of hire - Must meet all minimum requirements for the position of a police officer per Florida Statute 943 - Must have received police officer certification from the State of Florida SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS - Must pass the Department's physical test and minimum requirements as outlined in the Florida Standards and Training Guidelines - Physical Activities: Light work exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and up to 10 pounds frequently. Requires balancing, climbing, crouching, grasping, hearing, kneeling, lifting, mental acuity, pulling, pushing, reaching, speaking, standing, stooping, talking, visual acuity, and walking. Requires operation of a City vehicle. - Work Environment: Typically performed in a safe and secure environment that may periodically have unpredictable requirements. Occasional exposure or risk to physical health or safety (e.g., hazardous materials, heavy equipment). - Emergency Response: Subject to recall around the clock for emergency response operations, which may require irregular work hours, work at locations other than the normal work location, and duties other than those specified in the official job description. SELECTION PROCESS - Candidates must successfully complete and pass the Department's physical test and meet all minimum requirements outlined in the Florida Standards and Training Guidelines. - Standard background, psychological, and medical evaluations are typically required for command-level law enforcement positions. HOW TO APPLY - Applications should be submitted through the City of North Port, FL official employment portal or human resources department. EMPLOYMENT DETAILS Employer: City of North Port, FL Department: Police Department Class Code: PD2 Job Type: Full-Time Location: North Port, FL Equal Opportunity: The City of North Port, FL is an Affirmative Action, ADA, and Equal Opportunity Employer. Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities are encouraged to apply.
ABOUT THE ROLE The Senior General Counsel serves as legal counsel and representative to assigned District managers and staff. This role provides expertise in specialized legal areas, including labor and employment law, advises District staff on legal and policy issues, takes a lead role in adversary proceedings, advises the Superintendent and Board of Directors, and supervises staff within the General Counsel's office. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES - Act as legal counsel to the District and represent the District in legal proceedings, including litigation and administrative proceedings. - Provide advice and counsel to Human Resources and organizational leaders on employment matters including wage and hour compliance, discrimination claims, FMLA, ADA, internal investigations, discipline, and collective bargaining. - Prepare and provide legal advice on employment-related documents, policies, settlement agreements, and grievance responses. - Oversee outside counsel in employment litigation, labor arbitrations, and unfair labor practice hearings, including settlement negotiations. - Maintain current knowledge of changing federal and local laws and respond to external governmental audits or investigations. - Undertake lead responsibilities in other legal practice areas, including school law and policy issues. - Advise the Board and District staff on policies, procedures, and legal issues, and perform legal research. - Draft and review contracts, policies, and procedures. - Supervise staff within the General Counsel's Office, support colleagues, and contribute to efficient office operations. - Serve on committees and take a lead role in training District staff. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - Six years of experience practicing law or working in education or local government. - J.D. or L.L.M. degree, or an equivalent of education and experience. - Knowledge of legal and compliance issues affecting the District, public schools, and local government entities in Washington. - Strong research, oral and written communication, and collaborative problem-solving skills. - Ability to think logically and creatively, handle multiple tasks simultaneously, and establish effective working relationships in a multicultural community. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS - Member in good standing of the Washington State Bar Association. - Valid Washington State driver's license or evidence of equivalent mobility. - Satisfaction of continuing legal education requirements and reporting every three years. - Must pass a Criminal Justice fingerprint and background check. SELECTION PROCESS - The position is open until filled and candidates are evaluated on core competencies including intellectual acumen, time management, written communications, collaboration, getting results, decision quality, integrity, and accountability. HOW TO APPLY - Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible since the position is open until filled. EMPLOYMENT DETAILS - Job Type: Full-Time, 1.0 FTE. - Work Location: In-person at the John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence, WA. - Department: Chief Legal Counsel. - Other Factors: Occasional travel may be required; attendance at evening and weekend meetings as needed. - Employer: Seattle Public Schools.
ABOUT THE ROLE The Department of Public Defense (DPD) is recruiting for Public Defense Attorney Supervisor positions within The Defenders Association Division. The role involves supervising attorneys, ensuring high-quality legal representation, mentoring staff, and fostering an inclusive environment committed to equity and social justice. Supervisors may carry a partial caseload and must demonstrate a passion for public defense and client representation. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES - Supervise, develop, evaluate, train, mentor, and coach unit employees and interns - Ensure work conforms to professional standards, statutes, rules, and policies - Conduct disciplinary investigations, impose discipline, and implement corrective action plans - Conduct annual performance evaluations and assign or balance attorney workloads - Carry a partial caseload requiring excellent legal representation, trial, research, and negotiation skills - Maintain and update computerized case-management systems to track caseloads - Identify ethical conflicts of interest - Serve on-call at least twice a year and supervise on-call attorneys - Participate in the Division Management Team and assist with office-wide initiatives MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school or completed the WSBA's Rule 6 Law Clerk Program - Member of the Washington State Bar Association in good standing with at least three years of experience as a lawyer - Murder/Sex/Felony High qualified to be considered for Felony placements - Washington State Driver's License or ability to travel to required destinations SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS - Must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to the King County worksite - Subject to DPD Ethical Walls Policies and Outside Work Policy for Attorneys - Represented by Teamsters 117 bargaining unit - Must maintain a home workspace with a reliable internet connection SELECTION PROCESS - Evaluation of application materials and supplemental questions - Interviewing - References - Personnel file review going back three years - Background check if applicable HOW TO APPLY - Submit a completed King County application - Attach a current or chronological resume - Attach a cover letter detailing your background and what you bring to the DPD - Current TDAD supervising attorneys wishing to transfer should email Managing Attorney Ben Goldsmith at benjamin.goldsmith@kingcounty.gov by the closing date - Applications submitted by 11:59 p.m. on August 10, 2026, receive priority consideration EMPLOYMENT DETAILS - Job Type: Career Service Executive, Full Time, Exempt from FLSA overtime provisions - Location: Hybrid model with an onsite minimum of four days per week and five days during the probationary period - Work Locations: Various locations including Seattle, Kent, and Redmond District Court - Travel: Required to various locations throughout King County, including courts, jails, hospitals, and treatment centers - Benefits: Pension plan, holidays, transit pass, training, and education opportunities
ABOUT THE ROLE Full-time, hybrid position with the Office of the Legal Defender in Maricopa County, Phoenix, AZ. The role involves advocating professionally, aggressively, and ethically on behalf of indigent clients appointed by the court. The attorney will prepare cases and represent clients through all phases of court proceedings, specifically filling a current vacancy in the appellate unit. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES - Appear in court representing clients at scheduled hearings and trials - Present oral arguments in support of clients' legal interests - Research facts and analyze legal issues using computerized and printed legal research tools - Compose motions, briefs, correspondence, and other legal documents - Review evidence on- and off-site - Discuss and present analyses of legal issues to clients, court personnel, and related individuals - Communicate in person and by phone with clients, opposing counsel, co-workers, and supervisors - Travel to courts, mental health institutions, jails, detention centers, and correctional facilities - Provide leadership for professionals, including other attorneys, mitigation specialists, investigators, and paralegals - Attend Continuing Legal Education seminars MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - Three years of appellate experience - Juris Doctor (JD) or Doctor of Jurisprudence from an American Bar Association (ABA) approved law school - Currently admitted to practice law and a member in good standing with the State Bar of Arizona at the time of application SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS - Valid Arizona driver's license required upon hire - Travel to and from job-related locations during a scheduled workday using a County or private vehicle - May require national and international travel outside of a scheduled workday for case-related investigation - Physical demands: lift 15-25 pounds from floor to waist; 15 pounds waist to shoulder or shoulder to overhead; carry 15-25 pounds for 100 feet; push/pull 100 pounds for 100 feet - Work environment includes exposure to traumatic subject matter, interruptions, time pressures, high volumes of work, and handling multiple complicated tasks - Preferred qualifications: experience with adult criminal appeals and post-conviction relief, and work in state criminal litigation within the last three years SELECTION PROCESS 1. Consideration is only given to candidates who submit online applications 2. Candidates will be contacted primarily through email and their Workday online application profile 3. Must pass a pre-employment background and/or fingerprint investigation as required by statute or policy, including drug and alcohol testing for safety-sensitive positions HOW TO APPLY Submit an online application through the Maricopa County Workday portal. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. EMPLOYMENT DETAILS - Job Type: Unclassified - Department: Legal Defender - Location: 222 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85004 (Hybrid) - Posting Date: 07/23/26 - Application Deadline: Open Until Filled - Job Requisition ID: JR24713 - Benefits: Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) employer, Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) for attorneys, tuition reimbursement, exceptional work-life balance, growth opportunities, low-cost high-value healthcare, child care benefits (Maricopa County Kids Club), paid vacation, sick time, parental leave, extensive wellness program, and Arizona State Retirement System (11.98% contribution with 100% employer match on Day 1).