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
The General Counsel Division serves as counsel to the City’s officers and various departments, including the Mayor, City Council, City Ethics Commission, Animal Services, Cultural Affairs, Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (including the City’s Neighborhood Councils), El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument Authority, Information Technology Agency, Library, Public Works, Recreation and Parks, Transportation, and the Zoo. The General Counsel’s Infrastructure Team is an important part of the General Counsel Division and serves as the counsel to the Department of Public Works and the Department of Transportation, as well as their respective Boards of Commissioners and City Council oversight committees.
The Department Public Works and its five operating Bureaus – Engineering, Sanitation, Street Services, Street Lighting and Contract Administration are responsible for the construction, renovation, and sometimes operation of City facilities and infrastructure, including, for example, City buildings, police and fire stations, libraries, wastewater treatment plants, park facilities, and the LA Zoo, as well as the City’s network of streets, sidewalks, street lights, bridges, sewers, and storm drains. The Board of Public Works Commissioners and the Department’s five bureau Directors are the chief administrators of the Department, overseeing the design and execution of the e’s projects and operations. The Department is also the permitting and inspection authority for construction activities in the public right-of-way, maintains the City’s urban forest of street trees, issues special event and vending permits, and carries out enforcement operations for street use violations, street vending, illegal dumping and illicit waste discharges.
Duties and Responsibilities – Infrastructure and Public Works
The attorney selected for the position will serve in the Infrastructure Team of the General Counsel Division, and will be part of the group of attorneys who serve as the counsel to the Department of Public Works and its Board of Public Works. The attorney will be expected to provide oral and written advice on a myriad of issues, such as statutory and Constitutional interpretation and application (e.g., Ralph M. Brown Act, conflict of interest laws, election laws, the Public Records Act, First Amendment issues), water and air regulatory laws, public construction laws, and liability assessment and risk management. The attorney will also review, edit, draft and negotiate contracts, public utility franchise agreements, and other transactional documents, frequently involving highly complex transactions. Similarly, the attorney will be expected to provide advice on all aspects of the City’s public procurement and competitive bidding procedures, as well as all applicable codes and laws governing City contracts.
Further, the attorney may be required to staff the Board of Public Works Commissioners as well as City Council and Council Committee meetings on behalf of the Office. The attorney will also be responsible for the development and drafting of ordinances and will be required to prepare advisory opinions or legal memoranda on issues of significance. Additionally, the Infrastructure Team handles specialized litigation relating to City Departments and City ordinances as well as administrative compliance and/or enforcement related to various permits issued by state and federal agencies, and the selected attorney may be asked to support those litigation and regulatory efforts.
Requirements
-Licensed to practice law in all courts in the State of California;
-Minimum five (5) years of experience in municipal, civil, or criminal law;
-Demonstrated high-level written and oral communication skills;
-Demonstrated strong research and writing skills in complex areas of law;
-Strong analytical and reasoning skills;
-Strong desire to serve the public interest;
-Demonstrated ability to handle a busy and varied workload;
-Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment; and
-Ability to work effectively with governmental agencies, public officials, departmental personnel, and members of the public.
Desired Qualifications
-Experience in public contracting, including construction contracting and professional service contracts for public entities;
-Civil litigation experience (minimum of two years preferred) and experience in quasi-judicial hearings by public bodies;
-Familiarity with administrative proceedings before regulatory agencies;
-Experience advising legislative bodies, including knowledge of the California Public Records Act, Brown Act and conflict of interest laws;
-Knowledge of the City Charter and City Administrative Code;
-Experience drafting local ordinances and knowledge of the City Charter; and
-Experience with public utilities franchises.
Requirements for Application
-Cover Letter
-Resume
-Candidates are required to submit two recent writing samples personally authored in the last two years.
