Law

We provide comprehensive legal services to the Mayor, City Council, and City departments, advising them on their official roles in city government through legal opinions and contract reviews, and represent and defend the city's interests in all legal matters.

We do not represent the general public.

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Keep in Mind:

For questions in regards to tax title payments, tax title balances, or inquiries into the application of previous tax payments, please contact the Collector-Treasurer’s Office at 617-635-4131 or collecting@boston.gov. Please note: All requests for Instruments of Tax Title Redemption should be directed to the Collector-Treasurer’s Office.

submitting documents

We ask that those seeking to contact or submit documents to the Claims Division and Tax Title Division of the Law Department please do so by mail, email, fax, or telephone only. If you are submitting a new claim, you must do so in hard-copy, preferably by mail. For information on how to file a claim please click here. If you are submitting documents on an existing claim, you may do so by email or fax.

If you must submit a document in person, an appointment is required.

Email for tax title and claims: law@boston.gov
Phone: 617-635-4034
Fax: 617-635-3199

Contact

617-635-4034
send an email
1 City Hall Square
Room 615

Boston, MA 02201
United States
Office hours

Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Career Opportunities

Assistant Corporation Counsel III - Workers Compensation

Overview:

Under the direction of the Workers' Compensation Agent, the Workers' Compensation Attorney will represent the City of Boston as a self-insurer in all stages of litigation related to workers' compensation matters before the Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA), Superior Court, and Appeals Court.

Responsibilities:

Represents the City in all workers' compensation matters before the Department of Industrial Accidents.
Conducts legal research, drafts discovery, and prepares legal memoranda and briefs as necessary.
Responsible for assessing exposure, negotiating settlements and other agreements, participating in mediations, and tracking and negotiating third-party liens.
Participates in meetings with internal staff and City Departments to ensure awareness and consistency in information regarding workers' compensation cases.
As a member of the workers' compensation team, assists in making determinations on cases and actions to be taken in the best interest of the client.
Performs related duties as required.

Minimum Entrance Qualifications:

Juris Doctorate.
Five to thirteen (5-13) years of experience. Workers' Compensation (MGL c. 152) experience strongly preferred.
Licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with no disciplinary record.
Two (2) years of relevant Workers' Compensation. Experience may be substituted for two (2) years of legal experience.
Excellent, clear, and effective writing and organizational skills.
Ability to work independently and as a member of a dynamic team.
Ability to exercise good judgment and focus on detail.
Highly motivated self-starter.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

BOSTON RESIDENCY REQUIRED

Terms:

Union/Salary Plan/Grade: Non-Union/MM2-13

Salary Range: 126,972.96 - 159,190.86

Hours per week: 35

Apply for this job

The City of Boston is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment. Therefore, qualified applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category.

Assistant Corporation Counsel - Litigation (ACC IV)

Overview:

The City of Boston Law Department provides legal services to the Mayor, City Council, and City departments regarding their official capacities within City government. Our office has been in continuous existence for 180 years and under the sole authority of the Corporation Counsel for 125 years. The Corporation Counsel has supervisory authority over all City attorneys and legal affairs and is responsible for all litigation to which the City of Boston is a party.

The City of Boston seeks an Assistant Corporation Counsel (ACC IV) to represent the City, Boston Fire Department, Boston Police Department, and Boston Public Schools before federal and state courts and administrative agencies. Reports directly to the First Assistant Corporation Counsel for Litigation. The ACC IV will perform legal research, prepare briefings, represent the City and City departments in federal and state court and administrative proceedings, and collaborate with other members of the Law Department on related work.

Responsibilities:

Mentors attorneys (ACC I, II, III) in the conduct of their litigation.
Responsible for managing a caseload and representing the City, Boston Fire Department (BFD), Boston Police Department (BPD), and Boston Public Schools (BPS) in state and federal trial and appellate courts and administrative agencies, as assigned.
Represents the City in matters including: personal injury and other tort cases; employment discrimination cases; civil rights claims; contract disputes; and City trust, bankruptcy, and receivership cases.
Responsible for the preparation, strategy, briefing, and argument of jury and non-jury trials and hearings in state and federal courts, both at the trial and appellate levels.
Guides and advises the City, BFD, BPD, and BPS on a variety of matters involving employment, administrative, and constitutional law, including but not limited to: policy matters, public records law, state and federal student confidentiality laws, and state conflict of interest laws.
Conducts presentations locally and nationally.
Performs related work as required.

Minimum Entrance Qualifications:

Juris Doctorate required.
At least six to fourteen (6-14) years of experience as a lawyer in a law firm or within a government agency.
Licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with no disciplinary record.
Supervisory legal experience required.
Highly motivated self-starter.
Strong interpersonal, organizational, oral, and written communication skills.
Strong quantitative, analytical, and project management skills.
Proficient with Microsoft Office, Google Suite, Westlaw, and Social Law Library.
Demonstrated experience in real estate law, municipal finance law, and bankruptcy law preferred.
Ability to exercise good judgment and focus on detail as required by the job.
BOSTON RESIDENCY REQUIRED

Terms:

Union/Salary Plan/Grade: Non-Union/MM2-14

Salary Range: 134,769.17 - 168,566.82

Hours per week: 35

Apply for this job

The City of Boston is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment. Therefore, qualified applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category.

Workers' Compensation Legal Advisor

Overview:

Lead the City of Boston Law Department’s Workers’ Compensation Division, under the direction of the Law Department’s First Assistant for Litigation. Primary responsibilities include representing the City of Boston as a self-insurer in workers’ compensation litigation, providing legal advice to the City’s Workers’ Compensation team, and supervising workers’ compensation legal staff.

Responsibilities:

Reviews, interprets, and applies established law to the Workers' Compensation program.
Supervises, hires, and reviews the work of workers’ compensation legal staff.
Participates in review, as necessary, of incoming cases with case managers and other employees in the office to provide legal input as necessary.
Oversees legal activities and represents the City as a self-insurer for workers’ compensation at the Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA) as well as state and federal courts in all phases of litigation.
Provides legal support for the City’s ongoing compliance with the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act (MMSEA) Section 111 mandatory reporting requirements.
Coordinates the investigation and legal dispute of Medicare Secondary Payer conditional payment demands and U.S. Treasury debt offsets to mitigate liability for workers' compensation and accidental disability retirement claims.
Provides legal support for letters directing payment, modification, or termination of workers' compensation claims.
Advise on compliance, regulatory issues, contracts, transactional work generally, and letters in cases involving a third-party action.
Leads legal processes to allow the City to recover monies due.
Participates in discussions of the progress and outcome of active cases and the coordination of return to work efforts.
Participates in reviews of patterns and frequency of cases with departments to promote better work practices and reduce injuries where applicable.
Participates in the drafting of annual audit report and forwards to the Corporation Counsel.
Performs related duties as required.

Minimum Entrance Qualifications:

At least nine (9) years of experience as a lawyer in a law firm or governmental law office.
At least five (5) years of full-time, or equivalent part-time, experience in the workers’ compensation field, preferably in a self-insured employer worker’s compensation program, of which two (2) years must have been in a supervisory or managerial capacity.
Admission to the Massachusetts Bar and current active registration status with the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers.
Knowledge of the jurisdiction, functions, and procedures of the Department of Industrial Accidents and state courts.
Demonstrated knowledge of the Workers' Compensation law (MGL c. 152) and of applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations; of the financial instruments and best practices in self-insured workers’ compensation programs; of customer service best practices; of computer applications and systems utilized for workers' compensation claims management.
Demonstrated ability to represent the City in all phases of litigation; to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees and managers throughout the organization; and to maintain confidentiality.
Demonstrated leadership skills to promote teamwork, encourage initiative, manage projects, and drive process improvement.
Strong conflict resolution skills and oral and written communication skills, including presentation skills, to all levels of the organization.
Strong organizational skills and the ability to multitask.
Ability to work independently as well as perform in a team environment.
Ability to exercise good judgment and focus on details as required by the job.