DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY III - LAND USE 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 for a Deputy City Attorney in the Land Use Division of the Real Estate Branch for attorneys with litigation and/or transactional experience in land use planning & zoning matters, building codes and ordinances, and providing advice on land use planning matters to public agencies and legislative bodies.

As one of several Real Estate Branch teams, the Land Use Division provides litigation support and legal counsel to the Department of Building and Safety and the Department of Planning, all land use commissions and boards, and the City Council and its committees. Areas of the law for which the Land Use Division is responsible include planning, zoning, and the building code. The Division handles litigation in both state and federal court, including matters involving writs of mandate, damage actions, civil rights actions, constitutional challenges, and declaratory and injunctive relief actions. The Division is also responsible for drafting ordinances and regulatory documents relating to amendments to the Los Angeles Municipal Code, specific plans, and zoning and building regulations, as well as participating in the City’s community plan update program. In addition, the Division provides legal advice, including Brown Act advice, to various boards, commissions, and legislative bodies that work with the Departments of City Planning and Building and Safety, including the City Planning Commission, Area Planning Commissions, the Cultural Heritage Commission, the Board of Building and Safety Commissioners, the City Council, and Council Committees. The Division also provides legal advice to other City Departments, elected officials, and Commissions on selected land use/land development matters, and other special projects, as needed.

Duties and Responsibilities
The attorney assigned to this position will primarily participate in and/or handle litigation, draft ordinances, and advise City staff, officials and consultants on matters involving land use plans, zoning, and building and safety ordinances, and development projects, and will work closely with other attorneys and support staff in the Land Use Division.

Requirements
• Minimum three years of legal practice that includes demonstrated courtroom and litigation experience; experience advising and/or litigating land use planning and zoning and/or building code compliance matters is highly desired.
• Knowledge of the City Charter and the Municipal Code, including Chapter I and 1A of the Zoning Code, and Chapter 9 of the Building Code is highly desired.
• Knowledge of and working experience with state land use statutes, including but not limited to state housing laws, Subdivision Map Act, Brown Act, Public Records Act, and state Planning and Zoning law 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, one of which should be a persuasive writing sample.

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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