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CITY ATTORNEY
CITY OF PALO ALTO, CA
The Community
The birthplace of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto, is a community of approximately 68,000 residents and nearly 100,000 jobs. Located on the mid-Peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose, Palo Alto is recognized worldwide as a leader in cutting-edge technology, medicine, and green innovation. The community's treelined streets and historic buildings reflect its California heritage, and, at the same time, many world-class businesses maintain or started offices here, such as Stanford Health Care and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Amazon, Broadcom, Hewlett-Packard, Houzz, Rivian, SAP and SAP Ariba, Tesla, and Varian Medical Systems.
Numerous start-ups are also at home in Palo Alto, arguably making it the start-up capital of the world. Stanford University is foundational to the history and prestige of Palo Alto, reflected in the community's dedication to lifelong learning. Stanford's cultural and educational offerings are integral to the vibrancy and charm of Palo Alto, while the City's exceptional K-12 school district ranks among the top public-school systems in the country. With more than 50% of adult residents holding a graduate degree or higher, Palo Alto is frequently listed as one of the most educated cities in the nation. Palo Alto boasts a genuine sense of community and an active citizenry with strong environmental values. Beautiful neighborhoods are complemented by vibrant commercial corridors and a bustling economy featuring premium shopping and dining options. Excellent healthcare facilities, performing arts, and diverse recreational opportunities are some of the community's incredibly desirable and cherished amenities.
To learn more, visit https://www.paloalto.gov/ Departments/City-Manager/Latest-News City Government
Palo Alto is a full-service charter city with a council-manager form of government. The seven- member City Council is elected at large, and the City Council annually selects the Mayor and Vice Mayor from among its members. The City Council appoints the City Manager, City Attorney, City Clerk, and City Auditor. The City Manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the City. Palo Alto is organized into 15 departments/offices with 1,104 authorized positions in FY 2026. The City's total budget is $1.0 billion including a FY 2026 Capital Budget of $313 million, and a Capital Plan of $1.1 billion over the five-year CIP. The City's General Fund Budget of $313 million further invests in high-quality services for the community and advances City Council priorities.
Palo Alto is a full service city, offering a variety of services unusual for a city of its size. The City owns and operates its own utilities, including electricity (carbon-neutral), gas, water, wastewater, and an expanding fiberoptic network. The City has the only fire department in Santa Clara County providing ambulance transport services. Community assets also include five
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libraries, 36 parks, five community centers, a museum and zoo, youth centers, a general aviation airport, an 18-hole golf course, a regional water treatment plant, and wildland open space preserves at the San Francisco Bay and in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains offering 41 miles of walking/biking trails in addition to its police, fire, and ambulance services. This dynamic municipal environment ensures an ever-engaging platform for unique problem-solving, including associated legal considerations.
Palo Alto has long been a leader in sustainability, and the City's ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals are part of what sets it apart. Since the City's first Climate Protection Plan was passed in 2007, Palo Alto has set goals that exceed State and Federal targets.
Today, the City's goal to reduce emissions 80% below 1990 levels by 2030 (the "80x30" goal) and achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 guides sustainability efforts. An award-winning City, Palo Alto is recognized nationally as innovative and well-managed, and one of a small number of California cities with an AAA general obligation bond rating. City services and performance also receive impressive marks from community members in the Palo Alto Community Survey. Many of those ratings put City programs and services in the highest percentiles among the hundreds of benchmark cities. Palo Alto makes decisions through comprehensive processes and proactively seeks to involve its informed, educated, and engaged residents. Projects are naturally a cooperative effort among the City Council, Boards, Commissions, Committees, engaged residents, neighborhoods, businesses, property owners, and staff.
City of Palo Alto Attorney’s Office
The City Attorney’s mission is to serve the City of Palo Alto by providing high-quality legal representation. The City Attorney partners with the City Council and City Manager to find creative approaches to the opportunities and challenges that face Palo Alto.
Key Responsibilities:
Draft contracts, legislation, legal opinions, and other legal documents Negotiate on behalf of the city
Advise city officials on how to manage risk and comply with the law Enforce the Municipal Code
Defend the city, and city employees, when we are sued
The City Attorney’s office has 13 full time positions including, 9 Attorneys of varying levels (Chief, Assistant, Deputy, Fellow), and three administrative positions.
Candidate Profile (Themes and Options for Committee Review)
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A strategic thought-partner to Council and the City Manager Trusted advisor on policy, risk, and implementation; anticipates second- and third-order effects and brings options, not just opinions.
Comfortable shaping legislation to realize Council priorities while safeguarding the organization.
A translator of the complex into the actionable
Turns multi-faceted law, liability, legislation, and litigation into clear choices for decision-makers and residents.
Turns dense contracts, ordinances, and resolutions into understandable summaries without sacrificing precision.
A governance and ethics champion
Guides Councilmembers and executives on conflict-of-interest, open-meeting rules, and public accountability;
proactively trains and advises to prevent issues before they arise.
A proactive risk navigator and seasoned litigator
Spots enterprise risk early, recommends mitigation strategies, and, when needed, leads or manages litigation strategy to protect the City’s interests.
A California public-law generalist with depth where needed Demonstrated command of municipal practice areas that shape Bay Area cities: land use and environmental matters, labor and employee relations, utilities, elections, and code enforcement.
A builder and leader of high-performing legal teams
Develops legal staff, establishes smart workloads and service standards, and elevates in- house capability over time through mentoring and continuing development.
A collaborative citywide leader
Works shoulder-to-shoulder with department heads to structure major projects and negotiations; drafts and reviews agreements that move capital, utility, and community initiatives forward.
Community-minded communicator
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Explains the “why” behind legal guidance in public settings, building trust with residents and stakeholders and modeling transparency in government.
Outcome-oriented and steady under pressure
Balances policy goals with legal constraints; offers clear go/no-go recommendations with pragmatic pathways to “yes”.
Personal attributes
Integrity beyond reproach; sound judgment; diplomatic presence; low-ego/high-impact leadership; inclusive, equity-minded perspective; resilient, future-focused, and curious.
Compensation and Benefits
Compensation will be based on qualifications and experience. In addition to salary, Palo Alto offers a competitive benefits package, described in more detail here: https://bit.ly/pabenefits, that includes but is not limited to:
Work Schedule – Hybrid and 9/80 work schedules available. Retirement – CalPERS 2% @ 60 formula for Classic employees with an 8% employee contribution; 2% @ 62 formula for New Members with an employee contribution of 50% of the normal cost (currently 7.25%).
Medical Plan – City pays a flat rate contribution up to $2,260 per month for family coverage and employee pays in accordance with health plan option selected, between $43.27 to $1,641.03 per month.
Dental and Vision Plans – Fully paid.
Vacation – 120-200 hours annually, depending on years of service, with option for cash out once a year.
Management Leave – 80 hours per calendar year, eligible for cash-out. Sick Leave – 96 hours per year.
Holidays – 12 paid holidays per year.
Floating Holiday – One floating holiday each calendar year in acknowledgment of days of historical significance.
Life and AD&D Insurance – Fully paid up to annual salary.
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Additional Benefit – Annual contribution of $2,500 for IRS Section 125 compliant uses such as Flexible Spending Accounts, Non-taxable Professional Development Spending Account, deferred compensation, or health club membership. Other benefits include Childcare Assistance Program, Palo Alto School District Partnership, and commute incentives.
Application & Selection Process
The closing date for this recruitment is midnight, Sunday, Month XX, 2025. To be considered for this opportunity, upload a compelling cover letter, resume, and list of six professional references using the "Apply Now" feature at www.xxx.com. This is a confidential process and will be handled accordingly throughout the various stages of the process.
Recruiter Information <Insert>
Following the closing date, resumes will be screened in relation to the criteria articulated in this brochure. Applicants with the most relevant qualifications will immediately be granted preliminary interviews by one of the recruiters. Candidates deemed the most highly qualified will be invited to participate in additional interviews followed by further meetings with the City.
Selection will be made shortly thereafter, following the completion of negotiations and extensive background and reference checks. Please note that references will not be contacted until mutual interest has been established.