DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY II/III - TRANSACTIONAL/BUSINESS LAW (LAWA)

City Attorney

Exempt | Location: Civic Center

Annual Salary

$135,636 - $256,803

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, service and accountability, 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

The Airports Division acts as General Counsel to Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), its officers and employees, and the Board of Airport Commissioners (Board). LAWA is the governing body for Los Angeles International and Van Nuys General Aviation Airports. The Division is currently comprised of twenty (20) attorneys and eleven (11) support staff members. Attorneys in the Division handle a wide variety of litigation and transactional matters. This representation includes litigation and advice concerning contract and lease disputes, condemnation, employment-sworn and non-sworn, environmental, insurance, land use, noise, nuisance, personal injury, landlord-tenant disputes, First Amendment rights, and federal regulatory (FAA) matters. The attorneys also assist LAWA in negotiating and drafting numerous documents, including contracts, leases, licenses, permits, construction contracts, and concession agreements.

Duties and Responsibilities

The selected attorney/attorneys will be responsible for providing legal advice to various levels of LAWA management and to the Board encompassing all phases of a municipal/airport/business law practice. This may range from advising LAWA management regarding the business structure of a project, the bidding and negotiation process, and into the contract administration and performance of any Agreement, including, but not limited to, any claims and litigation that arise therefrom. Transactional work may also include negotiating and drafting leases and other real property related documents, as well as advising LAWA regarding such transactions.

Requirements

Applicants for this position must have a valid license to practice law in all of the courts within the State of California. Additional requirements include:

• At least three years of relevant advisory and transactional experience is required including negotiating, drafting, and advising clients in a municipal/airport/business law environment.

• Excellent writing and problem-solving skills and demonstrated ability to work effectively with public officials, non-attorney department employees and members of the public.

• Strong oral communication skills.

Desired Qualifications

• Litigation experience in both state and federal courts and/or administrative agencies.

• Experience with real estate law is highly desired.

Requirements for Application

• Cover Letter

• Resume

• Candidates are required to submit two recent writing samples personally authored in the last two years.

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.

job openings