Angela Jacobs has been appointed as the new Whitefish city attorney.

Jacobs is a partner in the law firm of Hammer, Jacobs & Quinn of Kalispell. She has been in private practice in the Flathead Valley since 2002.

Jacobs replaces current City Attorney Mary VanBuskirk, who is retiring after serving five years with the city.

Mayor John Muhlfeld made the appointment and City Council July 15 voted to ratify it.

Muhlfeld pointed to Jacobs’ resume as an example of why she will serve the city well.

“Needless to say, Angela’s academic and professional background will serve the city well into the future,” he said.

Jacobs earned her juris doctorate from the University of Montana in 2001 and her bachelor of science in business from Montana State University in 1997.

After graduation, she clerked in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in California.

For the past 10 years, Jacobs has been a practicing attorney representing a range of clients in state district court, federal district court, the Ninth Circuit and the Montana Supreme Court.

Jacobs was hired with a two-year contract that includes an annual base salary of $105,000. Her contract with the city begins Aug. 1.