Assistant City Attorney / Ethics Officer_City_Attorney_–_NonRep.docx
CITY OF ANAHEIM
CLASS SPECIFICATION
TITLE CODE: ###
CLASSIFICATION: Assistant City Attorney / Ethics Officer
DEPARTMENT: City Attorney
CLASS DEFINITION: To direct, coordinate, and provide professional legal services on varied and complex topics, with specialization laws, ordinances, and regulations pertaining to the conduct of public employees, elected and appointed officials, candidates, lobbyists, and others including the California Political Reform Act, Levine Act, California Public Records Act, California Brown Act , Meyers-Milias-Brown Act, Anaheim Sunshine Ordinance, Anaheim Campaign Reform Law and other local, state and federal laws; collaborate with key staff and departments including the City Manager’s Office, City Clerk’s Office, and Human Resources to advance conflicts and ethics efforts ; Develop, implement, and sustain an ethics program and education program for employees, elected/appointed officials, lobbyists, stakeholders, and consultants to ensure compliance with local/state/federal laws, rules and regulations; collaborate with the Human Resources Department and City’s Audit division to manage the fraud hotline and investigate incidents reported through the hotline; to provide highly complex staff assistance to the City Attorney.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:
Under general direction from the City Attorney , the Assistant City Attorney/ Ethics Officer is responsible for exercising professional and independent judgment in formulating legal advice and conclusions impacting governance and operations of the City . This class is distinguished from the next lower level of Deputy City Attorney IV by its administrative responsibilities and skill in independently handling legal issues and cases of increasing complexity to the City with experienced legal judgment and political acumen.
SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED:
Receives general direction from the City Attorney.
May exercise functional and technical supervision over professional, technical, and clerical staff.
EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
The following functions are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed functions and/or may be required to perform additional or different functions from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices.
Maintain current knowledge and understanding of governmental ethics for Federal, State, and municipal entities.
Collaborate with key staff and departments such as the City Manager’s Office, City Clerk’s Office, Human Resources Department, and the Audit division to advance ethics and other related matters.
Develop, implement, and sustain an Ethics Education Program for elected and appointed officials, and lobbyists to ensure compliance with City, State, and Federal ethics laws , including developing ethics resources (e.g., quick reference guides) and tools to assist in applying ethics principles and key ethics policies.
City of Anaheim
Class Specification
Assistant City Attorney / Ethics Officer
Perform complex legal research, prepare reports, and provide legal opinions and advice , both in writing and orally, on various complex legal problems for the City Council, City departments, and various boards and commissions.
Prepare and present staff reports and other necessary correspondence.
Lead, plan, and direct ethics culture assessments and develop policies and plans to address opportunities identified in the assessment to ensure consistency and integration of ethics philosophies on a Citywide level.
Maintain oversight of campaign statements and public records act requests and review thereof, and investigate alleged violations of State law, City Charter, and City ordinances relating to limits on campaign contributions and expenditures, governmental ethics, and conflicts of interest, lobbying, and compliance with the Public Records Act.
Report findings of investigations to the City Attorney and other appropriate enforcement authorities.
Conduct audits of financial records of other candidates and committees involved in City elections.
Provide assistance to agencies and public officials in administering the provisions of the City Charter and other laws relating to campaign finance, conflicts of interest, lobbying, and governmental ethics.
Maintain a whistle-blower, fraud, or any newly implemented anonymous hot line and investigate incidents reported to the hotline.
Prescribe forms for reports, statements, notices and other documents required by City Charter, ordinances, or other laws, relating to campaign financing, conflicts of interest, governmental ethics, and compliance with public records requests.
Issue written opinions with respect to the provisions of the City Charter and any ordinance or resolution relating to campaign finance, conflicts of interest, governmental ethics, and public records requests.
Conduct, supervise, or participate in investigations of alleged violations of City Charter and City ordinances relating to campaign financing, lobbying and the Public Records Act.
Conduct, supervise, or participate in investigations of alleged violations of the Charter and City ordinances relating to conflicts of interest and governmental ethics by all members of the City Council, Council-appointed officials, and City boards and commissions, and any other appointed official as deemed necessary.
Serve as a City resource for understanding of laws, ordinances, resolutions and regulations pertaining to the conduct of public employees, elected and appointed officials, candidates, lobbyists, and others, including the California Political Reform Act, FPPC, and local statutes.
Coordinate with subject matter experts throughout City government to provide answers to questions posed by City employees relating to ethical conduct and other related matters.
Lead and participate in the development and implementation of goals, objectives policies, and priorities; recommend and implement resulting policies and procedures.
City of Anaheim
Class Specification
Assistant City Attorney / Ethics Officer
Attend and participate in professional group meetings; maintain awareness of new trends and developments in the field of municipal, civil, ethics, conflict of interest, public records, lobbyist registration, employment law, and campaign finance and disclosure laws and incorporate new developments as appropriate.
Represent City and the City Attorney’s office as the Ethics Officer, as well as other areas of law as assigned by the City Attorney.
Appear in court and administrative proceedings, as needed, on behalf of the City, its officials, and its employees in litigation in state and federal courts, boards, administrative agencies, and commissions; prepares pleadings, discovery, briefs, motions, and other documents in preparation for trial of cases.
Prepare, draft , review, and approve various municipal legal documents including agreements, ordinances, resolutions, contracts, policies, and other sophisticated legal documents and instruments.
May provide assistance in the development and administration of assigned annual budgets.
Perform other duties as assigned.
JOB RELATED QUALIFICATIONS:
Experience and Education: Five (5) years of increasingly responsible experience directly related to area of assignment/specialty, such as in the field of municipal, civil , transactional, ethics, and government law experience, including two (2) years of advanced journey level experience directly related to area of assignment /specialty supplemented by a Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited school of law.
Knowledge of : Advanced legal principles, practices, and procedures related to area of assignment/specialty, which in cludes municipal, ethics, civil, election and campaign law, lobbying, open government, public records, employment, personnel, and labor laws ; duties, powers, and limitations of a city government; organization and operating procedures of the City Attorney’s Office; judicial procedures and rules of evidence; methods and techniques of legal research; methods of research, case analysis, and report preparation; standard legal references and their content; legal precedents and court decisions affecting local gov ernment; statutes and codes applic able to proceedings relating to area of assignment/specialty; pertinent federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations; office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and databases.
Ability to: Train and review the work of professional personnel; provide technical, administrative and professional staff assistance to the City Attorney ; assist in the implementation of Division goals, objectives and practices; perform the most difficult and complex legal work in the assigned areas of ethics, conflicts, open meetings, lobbying, campaigns, fraud, elections, employment, personnel, and labor laws; develop, prepare, and present cases in court, arbitration, administrative, or quasi-judicial proceedings; effectively apply legal knowledge and principles in court; research and compile data on a variety of legal cases; conduct research on legal pro blems; prepare clear and concise legal documents and briefs; research, draft, review, and negotiate sophisticated legal agreements, pleadings, contracts, and settlements; properly interpret and make decisions in accordance with laws, regulations, and policies; present statements of law, fact , and argument clearly and logically; determine the legal impact of specific laws on City operations; provide legal advice and consultation City of Anaheim
Class Specification
Assistant City Attorney / Ethics Officer
to City departments, boards, and commissions; plan and organize work to meet changing priorities and deadlines; plan, prioritize, and execute timelines without supervision; meet critical deadlines while working with frequent interruptions; exercise good ju dgment and maintain confidentiality regarding sensitive information, records, and reports; communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing; and establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
License/Certification Required : Active m embership in the State Bar of California and license to practice in the state and federal courts is a condition of continued employment . Possession of an appropriate, valid driver’s license is a condition of continued employment.
WORKING CONDITIONS:
Environmental Conditions: Work is performed primarily in a standard office setting with some travel to different sites; incumbents may be required to work extended hours including evenings and weekends.
Physical Conditions: Primary functions require sufficient physical ability and mobility to work in an office setting; to stand or sit for prolonged periods of time; to occasionally stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, reach, and twist; to lift, carry, push, and/or pull light to moderate amounts of weight; to operate office equipment requiring repetitive hand movement and fine coordination including use of a computer keyboard; and to verbally communicate to exchange information.
OTHER:
FLSA Designation: Professional Exempt
Unit Designation: Management Unrepresented
CAREER LADDER INFORMATION: Experience gained in this classification may serve to meet minimum qualifications for Chief Assistant City Attorney - Civil.
Note: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by persons assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an inclusive list of all duties, responsibilities and skills required of incumbents. In accordance with the Americans with Disability Act, reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.
Document Number: Assistant City Attorney/Ethics_Officer.docx Created: