About this opportunity
AI summaryThe City of St. Joseph, Michigan, is seeking proposals from qualified USA-based onshore firms to provide City Attorney services for an initial contract term of two years. The selected City Attorney will operate under the direction of the City Commission and City Manager to provide general civil legal advice, draft and review documents, attend meetings, handle zoning and land use, represent or coordinate litigation, oversee insurance matters, handle employment issues, and prosecute ordinance violations.
Buyer and opportunity details
- Client
- City of St. Joseph
Scope of work
- Give verbal and written legal advice and opinions to City officials and department heads
- Attend regular and special City Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, and Planning Commission meetings
- Review, draft, and negotiate City documents, contracts, policies, and real property instruments
- Advise on zoning, land use, and represent the City in related appeals
- Oversee, coordinate, or represent the City in litigation, civil proceedings, and tax tribunal cases
- Prosecute City ordinance violations including civil infractions and misdemeanors
- Assist with labor contract collective bargaining, employment legal matters, and disciplinary issues
- Advise on election matters and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and litigation
How proposals are evaluated
| Criterion | Weight / scoring |
|---|---|
| Previous relevant experience | Not specified |
| Qualifications | Not specified |
| Service approach, availability, and response time | Not specified |
| References | Not specified |
| Cost | Not specified |
Minimum qualifications
- Bar admissions for assigned attorneys
- Minimum $2,000,000 professional liability insurance per claim
Documents to include with your response
- Cover letter signed by authorized person
- Firm profile
- Resumes for assigned attorneys
- Municipal experience list for the last five years
- Service approach statement
- Conflicts of interest disclosure
- Professional liability insurance statement
- Disciplinary history disclosure for the last seven years
- Three public client references
- Fee proposal
Key dates
- Questions due
- 4:00 pm Monday, November 02, 2026
- Proposals due
- November, 16, 2026 at 3:15 PM
- Public proposal opening
- 3:30 pm Monday, November 16, 2026
- Anticipated bidder interviews
- weeks of November 16 through December 04, 2026
- Anticipated award recommendation
- December 07, 2026 City Commission meeting
How to submit
- Method
- Sealed hard copy
- Instructions
- Delivered or mailed to the City of St. Joseph City Clerk, 700 Broad Street, St. Joseph, Michigan 49085. Envelopes must be plainly marked with Attention: City Clerk, Re: City Attorney Services.
Contract details
- Term
- Initial term of two years, with the option to renew for three additional one-year terms
- Place of performance
- St. Joseph, Michigan
- Insurance and bonding
- Worker's Compensation in accordance with Michigan law; Commercial General Liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence/aggregate; Motor Vehicle Liability of $1,000,000; Professional Liability of $2,000,000 per claim maintained for 3 years post-termination.