Associate Counsel II – Real Estate, ROW

CapMetro

Associate Counsel II providing legal guidance to the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority's staff on real estate transactions. Collaborating on municipal regulations and ensuring compliance in legal matters.

Posted 5/28/2026full-timeAustin • Texas • 🇺🇸 United StatesJuniorMid-LevelWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Advise staff and leadership on general legal matters and provide guidance on Federal, State, and local laws, regulations, and policies impacting CapMetro’s programs, operations, and activities.
Research and interpret statutes, legal opinions, and regulatory frameworks (including municipal codes, zoning, and permitting) to ensure organizational compliance and informed decision-making.
Conduct complex legal research and prepare written legal opinions, memos, and materials for staff and the Board of Directors.
Draft and review a wide range of legal documents, including contracts, interlocal agreements, rail agreements, agency policies, and other organizational agreements.
Provide periodic review and revision of CapMetro’s template real estate and right-of-way contracts.
Provide legal and strategic transactional advice to various business units within CapMetro on a variety of real estate, right of way, and capital improvement matters. Lead negotiation, drafting, and execution of real estate and development-related agreements (e.g., leases, purchase/sale agreements, easements, TOD agreements, and related instruments).
Represent CapMetro in real estate acquisitions and dispositions, including proceedings under applicable laws and use of eminent domain, while monitoring and mitigating associated legal risks.
Work closely with CapMetro staff and management to advance CapMetro’s public transportation mission through management of real estate assets, economic development initiatives, and infrastructure improvements.
Assess and advise on litigation risks related to claims, projects, contracts, and organizational initiatives.
Oversee and direct outside counsel, manage legal strategy, and negotiate settlements as appropriate, including review and approval of work product and billing.
Provide legal oversight for the Public Safety Program, including advising on applicable laws, regulations, and law enforcement best practices.
Support business operations by advising on vendor/contractor engagements and ensuring compliance with records management and company policies.
Support Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Safety Management Systems (SMS) process by ensuring staff follows safety and security policies, considers safety in every action, and ensures safety and security concerns are reported.
Perform other duties as required and/or assigned.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Juris doctorate from an ABA accredited law school and a licensed member of the Texas State Bar.
Three (3) years of active practice of law, including two (2) years of real estate experience.
Experience with municipal ordinances and regulations, including city permitting and zoning laws preferred.
Experience with rail or utilities real estate work preferred.
__Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:__
Must possess required knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience and be able to explain and demonstrate, with or without reasonable accommodation, that the essential functions of the job can be performed.
Excellent written and oral communication skills; interpersonal skills; and superb negotiation and analytical skills.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with employees, managers, the Board, outside attorneys, and the public.
Knowledge of public sector laws, regulations and familiarity with federal, state, and local transportation statutes and regulations.
Skills in use of personal computer using word processing, spreadsheet applications and computerized legal research.
Skill in analyzing facts, legal commitment and impact, precedent, organizing information and interpreting and applying legal principles to complex legal issues.
Skill in preparing and presenting written and oral legal opinions, advice, and counsel.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Work with a diverse, collaborative, and energetic workforce whose focus is to bring innovation into the industry and how we serve our customers and team members. Utilize our free and reduced-fare transit service to get to the office and then plan to hit the gym (for free) and work with our onsite trainers, before heading back home. If you have children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years old, enroll them in the onsite award-winning Childcare and Learning Center. …and much more!

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

legal researchcontract draftingreal estate lawnegotiationlitigation risk assessmentregulatory compliancelegal opinion writingmunicipal ordinanceszoning lawspermitting

Soft Skills

written communicationoral communicationinterpersonal skillsnegotiation skillsanalytical skillsrelationship buildingstrategic thinkingproblem-solvingorganizational skillsleadership

Certifications

Juris DoctorateTexas State Bar license