DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY III - HOUSING DIVISION

City Attorney

Exempt | Location: Civic Center

Annual Salary

$163,887.00 - $239,618.00

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 with the highest caliber legal services, ranging from prosecuting criminal misdemeanors, playing a leading role in criminal justice reform, 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 in the Housing Division in the Real Estate Branch for a Deputy City Attorney to perform real estate development work representing the City as both a landowner and a lender in affordable housing development-related transactions and matters.

As one of several teams in the Real Estate Branch, the Housing Division is primarily responsible for the legal representation of the Los Angeles Housing Department (“LAHD”). The Housing Division attorneys provide legal counsel to LAHD for a wide variety of programs such as the financing of affordable housing, housing rehabilitation, the enforcement of the Rent Stabilization Ordinance, Systematic Code Enforcement Program and other services to ensure safe, decent and affordable housing in the City of Los Angeles. Some of the tasks involve drafting and reviewing a variety of housing-related ordinances and programs including the Rent Stabilization Ordinance, Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance, Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance, Right to Counsel Program Ordinance, Tenant Relocation Benefits and other ordinances related to LAHD programs. Housing Division attorneys also work on affordable housing bond issuances, loan agreements and land use covenants, and loans and services from federally-funded and other publicly-funded housing programs in the City. The Housing Division also serves as legal counsel to LAHD in the administration and implementation of the City’s Accessible Housing Program. Attorneys also handle litigation in both State and Federal courts as it relates to the various LAHD programs.

Duties and Responsibilities
The attorney assigned to this position will advise LAHD on local law, State law, and Federal law, as well as on competitive bidding requirements for affordable housing developments, and Brown Act issues affecting the approval process for such projects. The attorney will draft procurement and development documents for proposed development projects including, but not limited to, Disposition and Development Agreements, ground leases, land sale agreements, Owner Participation Agreements, regulatory agreements & covenants, loan agreements, deeds, and other real estate documents. The attorney will work with various City departments, the State, and HUD as it relates to the housing land development process. Additionally, the attorney will research and advise on specialized local, State and Federal funding sources. The attorney may also participate in, manage, or handle, litigation and related tasks in order to defend or preserve the City’s positions in these transactions.

Requirements
• Minimum three years of legal practice that includes demonstrated courtroom and litigation experience. Demonstrated working knowledge and experience in real estate law with respect to transactions and civil litigation is highly desired.
• Experience drafting agreements for real estate transactions and affordable housing developments, and experience analyzing real property title documents is highly desired.
• Licensed to practice law in all courts in the State of California and the 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 across divisions and departments.

How to apply

Requirements for Application

Cover Letter
Resume
Candidates are required to submit two recent writing samples personally composed.

https://cityattorney.lacity.gov/careers

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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