Deputy City Attorney - Employment Litigation

City Attorney

Exempt | Location: Civic Center

Annual Salary

$126,553.00 - $239,618.00

contact information

Xochilt Chavira
xochilt.chavira@lacity.org

job description

About Us
The Los Angeles City Attorney's office is one of the nation's largest municipal law offices and serves as general counsel to the City. With over 1,000 legal professionals, including 500 attorneys, the Office provides the City with the highest caliber of legal services, prosecuting criminal misdemeanors and playing a leading role in criminal justice reform, defending civil lawsuits and claims, bringing civil
enforcement actions in the name of the People of the State of California, and advising the hundreds of departments, boards and commissions of the City on all aspects of municipal, real estate and transactional law.

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
The Employment Litigation Division defends City departments and individual City employees in employment litigation brought by current and former employees. The Division’s practice has a strong focus on public safety employees (Police and Fire); however, the work includes a variety of cases from many City departments.

Most of the litigation involves California state law employment theories, especially those arising under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”) and Labor Code § 1102.5 (the whistleblower statute). However, a working knowledge of labor law and theories in federal employment litigation is helpful in analyzing the cases.

Duties and Responsibilities
The selected attorney will be responsible for:
• Representing the City in all phases of trial level labor and employment litigation;
• Presenting recommendations to City Council and attendant bodies;
• Meeting with high ranking appointed and elected City employees and officials;
• Analyzing legal liability and damages at all phases of litigation;
• Law and motion preparation and argument;
• Creating and implementing a case handling and litigation strategy from inception of litigation through trial; and
• Other related duties as assigned

Requirements
Applicants for this position must have a license to practice law in all of the courts in the State of California. Additional requirements include:
• Significant jury trial experience (civil or criminal) to verdict;
• At least three years of litigation practice in California Superior Court or United States District Court;
• Demonstrated strong research and writing skills in complex areas of law;
• Ability to deal effectively with public officials, departmental personnel and members of the public;
• Strong analytical and reasoning skills, good judgment, and a strong work ethic; and
• Strong oral communication and advocacy skills.

Current Location
City Hall East, 200 N. Main Street, Los Angeles. Position is subject to assignment at any location within the County of Los Angeles.

Probation
Appointment to this exempt position (non Civil-Service) will be subject to a two (2) year probationary period as required by Section 1050 of the City Charter. Successful completion of the two (2) year probationary period will result in tenure with the office.

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

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

How to apply

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

Qualified applicants will be invited to interview. Position will remain open until filled.

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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