DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY II/III - HOUSING & HOMELESSNESS DIVISION

City Attorney

Exempt | Location: Civic Center

Annual Salary

$135,636.48 - $256,803.12

contact information

Human Resources
2139787160
atty.recruit@lacity.org

job description

About Us

The Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney is one of the nation's largest municipal law offices. With over 1,000 legal professionals, including 500 attorneys, the Office provides the City of Los Angeles (“City”) with the highest caliber of legal services, ranging from prosecuting criminal misdemeanors and playing a leading role in criminal justice reform to advising on homelessness initiatives, defending civil lawsuits and claims, and bringing civil enforcement actions in the name of the People of the State of California.

Guided by an overarching commitment to integrity, accountability and transparency, we find great meaning in the work we do and the services we provide. We seek collaborative team players who understand that fulfilling our mission is key to making a positive impact.

Description

There is an immediate opening for a Deputy City Attorney in the Housing and Homelessness Division (Division) of the Real Estate Branch for an attorney with experience in litigation, transactional matters, and advising public agencies.

The Division acts as legal counsel to: the City Council’s Housing and Homelessness-related committees; the Los Angeles Housing Department of Housing; the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), and various other housing-related boards and commissions. The Division regularly advises clients on various housing laws, such as the City’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance and Housing Code; housing production laws such as the State Density Bonus Law and Housing Crisis Act; the Community Redevelopment Act; fair housing and accessibility laws; state and federal statutes and regulations, and affordable housing financing programs. The Division also provides advice on issues related to the on-going operation of the City’s various homelessness related programs including Inside Safe, Interim Housing, the Coordinated Entry System (CES), the Homelessness Management Information System, and the annual homeless count.

The Division handles a wide range of advisory, transactional, and litigation matters, including drafting loans, grants, covenants, ground leases and related real estate documents for the development of affordable housing; drafting professional service (PSA) and funding agreements for various housing and homelessness related services, handling litigation in state and federal court arising out of the City’s housing-related work; and monitoring settlement agreements.

The Division is also responsible for drafting all homelessness and housing-related ordinances. In addition, the Division provides municipal law advice, regarding the Ralph M. Brown Act and California Public Records Act to various City agencies, commissions, and committees, including the Rent Adjustment Commission, the Housing and Homelessness Committee, the United to House LA Citizens Oversight Committee, the LAHSA Commission, the Los Angeles Continuum of Care, and the Homeless Strategy Committee. The Division also provides legal advice to other City departments and officials regarding housing-related matters and projects.

Duties and Responsibilities

The attorney selected for this position will handle a variety of advice, transactional, and litigation matters, as needed. Such duties may include the handling of complex real estate transactions involving the drafting of documents including, but not limited to loan agreements, disposition and development agreements and ground leases for affordable housing developments; assisting with the enforcement and administration of regulatory agreements and land use covenants; assisting with the review of Requests for Proposals (RFP’s), drafting PSA’s and funding agreements, interpreting federal and state statutes and regulations, and/or handling overflow assignments for the Division, as needed.

Requirements

Minimum of five years of legal practice that includes litigation experience;
Licensed to practice law in all courts in the State of California and United States District Court for the Central District of California;
Strong legal analytical, written & oral communication, advocacy, and problem-solving skills;
Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team.

Desired Experience / Knowledge

Knowledge of and working experience with the California Redevelopment Act, Americans With Disabilities Act, Fair Housing Act, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act is highly desired.
Knowledge of the Rent Stabilization Ordinance and Housing Code.
Familiarity with Municipal law and California housing laws.
Knowledge of and experience with State and Federal public contracting statutes

How to apply

Application and Deadline

Interested candidates should go to: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacityattorney/ to apply online.

Conflict-of-Interest

This position is designated as Category 1 on the Conflict-of-Interest Code.

Contact

Questions? Please email atty.recruit@lacity.org.

exempt employment

If employment is said to be exempt, it is meant that the employment is exempted from the civil service provisions of the City Charter. In order to receive a regular civil service appointment, employees must have successfully participated in a civil service examination, received a high enough score on the examination to be placed on and receive an appointment from an eligible list, and they must serve a probationary period. Exempt employees do not compete in a civil service examination, they are not placed on an eligible list and receive an appointment from that list, nor do they serve a probationary period. As a result, exempt employees do not have what is referred to as a “property interest” in their job. Exempt employees serve at the will of the appointing authority and can be terminated at any time without cause. Employees with a property interest in their job, i.e. civil service employees, cannot be deprived of their employment(discharged or suspended) without due process.

General Information About Exempt Employment

Exempt employees serve at the will of the appointing authority, and as such, they may be discharged, suspended or otherwise disciplined without cause. Exempt employees have no property interest in their employment, and any procedural benefit or other prerogative extended to them by their appointing authority is not intended to create and does not create any such property interest. No officer or employee of the City may make to any other officer or employee any representation of a property interest in employment which does not correspond to Charter provisions unless the City Council, by ordinance, permits such representation. No unauthorized representation can serve as the basis of an employee's reliance on, or expectation of, a property interest.

Employees Seeking To Become Civil Service Employees

There is no protective leave for an exempt employee appointed to a civil service position. Upon receiving a civil service appointment and passing probation, the former exempt employee will be subject to the Civil Service provisions described in Article X of the City Charter. Upon appointment, the civil service employee will begin to accrue displacement and layoff seniority on the first day of his/her civil service appointment and may file for promotional examinations for which s/he qualifies. A full or half-time exempt employee appointed to a full or half-time civil service position continues to: contribute to the Retirement System; accrue vacation time; accrue sick time; receive anniversary date salary increases; and, receive health and dental benefits identical to those received in the civil service position.

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