DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY II/III - EQUITY AND INCLUSION DIVISION

City Attorney

Exempt | Location: Civic Center

Annual Salary

$126,553.00 - $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. It has more than 1,000 legal professionals, including more than 500 attorneys. The City Attorney is the Chief Counsel to the City and the Chief Prosecutor for the City of Los Angeles. The Office provides a wide range of legal services, prosecutes criminal misdemeanors, plays a leading role in criminal justice reform, advises on homelessness initiatives, defends civil lawsuits and claims, and brings 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
Attorneys in the Equity and Inclusion Division serve as counsel to various City departments, including the Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department, the Department of Aging, the Department on Disability, the Youth Development Department, and the Workforce Development Division of the Economic and Workforce Development Department. In addition, the Division advises the City Council’s Civil Rights, Equity, Immigration, Aging and Disability Committee, which said departments report to, and numerous Brown Act and other bodies, including the Commission on Civil Rights, the Commission on the Status of Women, the Human Relations Commission, the Innovation and Performance Commission, the Domestic Violence Alliance, and the Workforce Development Board. As they provide general counsel services, Division attorneys also develop expertise responsive to each client’s unique mission to serve some of the City’s most vulnerable communities and address policy issues of Citywide concern. The Division works closely with its assigned City departments, various other departments, and colleagues throughout the Office to help ensure compliance with anti-discrimination laws and promote equity and inclusion for all.

Duties and Responsibilities
The attorney assigned to this position will serve as general counsel by working closely the Department on Disability and other various City departments to advise on various legal matters, including compliance with Title II requirements for accessibility to government programs, services, and activities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), among other federal and state laws, and related efforts to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities in the City of Los Angeles. The assigned attorney will assist as needed with contracts, Public Records Act requests, ordinance drafting, legal research and analysis, and may serve as counsel to the Commission on Disability and other Brown Act bodies. The assigned attorney may also be required to appear before the City Council and its Committees. In addition to serving as a subject matter expert and resource on the ADA, the assigned attorney will also assist Division attorneys in advising other client departments, including the Civil, Human Rights and Equity Department and its commissions, and the Department of Aging, and handle other duties as assigned by the Division supervisor.

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:

Experience in one or more of the Division’s subject matter areas;
Familiarity with the requirements of the Brown Act, California Public Records Act and City Council Committee meetings and advising on legal issues (including Ethics and Conflicts of Interest issues);
Demonstrated ability to problem solve;
Demonstrated ability to deal with public officials, agency personnel and members of the public;
Demonstrated strong research and writing skills in complex areas of the law;
Ability to work efficiently and make decisions practically and independently; and,
Strong oral communication skills.

Desired Qualifications

Knowledge and experience in the area of local, state and/or federal anti-discrimination laws;
Knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA);
Knowledge of the City Charter, Brown Act, Public Records Act and conflict of interest laws;
Knowledge of the contracting laws and best practices;
Experience in drafting local ordinances;
Experience providing legal advice to public agencies and/or regulatory agencies, and public officials;
Admission to the United States District Court for the Central District;
Civil litigation experience; and
Desire to work with a relatively new, fast-paced, and innovative public-facing department.

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

Requirements for Application

• Cover Letter

• Resume

• Candidates are required to submit a writing sample, which may be a recent brief, report, or legal research memo.

https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacityattorney/

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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