EXHIBIT “B”
CLASS SPECIFICATION
CLASS TITLE: ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY
DEFINITION:
Under administrative direction from the City Attorney, the Assistant City Attorney organizes, plans, coordinates, manages, and implements component operations of the City Attorney’s Office, which may include handling claims and litigation as well as providing advisory legal services to City employees and officers; manages and supervises staff and consulting attorneys, experts, and claims managers; coordinates assigned activities with other City departments and outside agencies; provides highly responsible and professional legal services directly to City employees and officers; provides administrative support to the City Attorney; and performs related work as required.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:
The Assistant City Attorney is responsible for providing professional legal services at a senior management level, exercising a broad range of independence within policy parameters and under minimal supervision.
SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED:
Limited direction is provided by the City Attorney. Responsibilities include the management and supervision of professional, technical, and support staff and consultants, as well as directly providing professional legal services on behalf of the City.
EXAMPLES OF DUTIES:
Duties may include, but are not limited to the following:
• Exercises professional judgment in evaluating legal issues presented on a wide range of municipal law topics, identifies budgeted resources available to most effectively and efficiently address the issues, and establishes and implements plans of action to provide appropriate legal services.
• Plans, directs, manages, and evaluates services provided by the Legal Analyst, other support staff, consulting lawyers, experts, and claims managers, in providing legal services for component operations of the City Attorney’s Office, as directed by the City Attorney, which may include handling claims and litigation as well as providing advisory legal services to City employees and officers.
• Directly provides legal services on a wide range of municipal law topics, as assigned by the City Attorney, which may include handling claims and litigation as well as providing advisory legal services to City employees and officers. • Performs legal research and provides oral and written opinions and advice on various legal issues for City employees, officers, and legislative bodies. • Prepares legal documents, such as ordinances, resolutions, administrative policies, contracts, and real property documents such as deeds or leases; negotiates the terms of
EXHIBIT “B”
such documents with third parties, as necessary; and reviews the terms of such documents prepared by others for approval as to form before signed on behalf of the City. • Represents the City in legal matters brought by or against the City in federal court, state court, arbitrations, mediations, and administrative proceedings; performs all aspects of legal representation including pleadings, discovery, motions, trials, appellate actions, and negotiation and settlement of resolutions when warranted. • Evaluates potential and actual claims and complaints by or against the City, as well as legal risks and opportunities facing the City, including Government Code liability claims, personnel disputes, enforcement of municipal code violations, and collections of debts owed; recommends actions to be taken, and works with City employees and consultants to implement the recommended actions.
• Provides legal services and advice at meetings of various legislative bodies, such as the City Council, or other boards or commissions.
• Responds to questions and concerns raised by members of the public. • May act as the City Attorney in their absence.
• Performs related duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS
Knowledge of:
• Principles of law regarding the obligations and authority of California cities, particularly California charter cities, relative to the federal government, the state government, and other local agencies.
• The operational functions of city government (legislative, quasi-judicial, and administrative) through its various legislative bodies, officers, employees, departments, agents, and related agencies (such as housing authorities and joint powers authorities). • Principles of general municipal law including the Brown Act, conflicts of interest, public records, municipal contracting, and Government Code liability claims. • Principles of municipal law for a range of particular functional areas, as assigned, such as personnel, code enforcement, land use regulation, real property, franchises, public works construction, municipal finances, elections, or constitutional law. • Principles, practices, and procedures of representing the City in civil court and before administrative bodies.
Ability to:
• Analyze difficult legal problems, exercise judgment in determining the amount of time and resources warranted for each problem, and provide appropriate legal services through legal advice, representation, or advocacy.
• Perform legal research using current techniques, which results in an accurate and well- reasoned analysis, and an identification of alternative legal and practical approaches to resolve the problem presented, including corresponding risks and benefits of competing alternatives.
• Plan, organize, supervise, direct, and evaluate the work of assigned staff and consultants (legal, technical, and clerical) in a manner that maximizes the effective use of limited resources.
• Work collaboratively and effectively with other City officers, employees, and consultants to achieve the City’s goals, as set by the City Council.
• Effectively communicate, both orally and in writing.
• Provide legal advice to City employees and officers that clearly and concisely describes complex issues at a level of detail appropriate to the decision to be made. This includes EXHIBIT “B”
advice in confidential settings, as well as public written opinions, and advice provided during public meetings of legislative bodies.
• Effectively represent the City in a variety of settings including all aspects of advocacy before judicial and administrative bodies, as well as negotiations to reach consensus or resolve disputes in other public forums, including meetings with other entities or agencies, community meetings, or mediations.
Education and Experience:
Any combination of education, experience and training that would provide the best qualified candidates. A typical way to obtain the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities would be:
A Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited law school.
Four (4) years of experience as an attorney in the practice of law for a governmental jurisdiction, preferably a municipality, or four years of experience in related areas of municipal law.
Special Requirements:
Possession at time of hire and continued maintenance of a valid California Class C driver’s license is required. Active membership of the State Bar of California. Attendance at evening meetings and travel out of town to job-related meetings is required. This position is exempt from Civil Service and at will.
Employment Type: Full-Time Non-Classified
Bargaining Unit: AMPX
FLSA Status: Exempt
Established: August 2013
Amended: TBD