DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY - PUBLIC RIGHTS BRANCH

City Attorney

Exempt | Location: Civic Center

Annual Salary

$115,696.00 - $221,390.00

contact information

Human Resources
2139787160
atty.recruit@lacity.org

job description

DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY
PUBLIC RIGHTS BRANCH
Salary Range
DCA II: $115,696 - $169,148
DCA III: $151,442 - $221,390

About Us
The Los Angeles City Attorney's office is one of the nation's largest municipal law offices. With over 1,000 legal professionals, including 500 attorneys, the Office provides the City with the highest caliber of legal services, ranging from prosecuting criminal misdemeanors and playing a leading role in criminal justice reform, advising on homelessness initiatives, defending civil lawsuits and claims, and bringing civil enforcement actions in the name of the People of the State of California.
Guided by an overarching commitment to integrity, accountability and transparency, we find great meaning in the work we do and the services we provide.

The Public Rights Branch pursues civil enforcement maters, including complex, high impact maters, focused on a variety of areas including unfair business and housing practices, wage theft, environmental, consumer protection, nuisance abatement and cannabis regulation. The Branch uses a variety of statutory authorities, including the Unfair Competition Law, the False Advertising Law, the Public Nuisance Law and various Health & Safety regulations. The Branch also pursues False Claims Act claims on behalf of the City.

The Public Rights Branch has an immediate opening for one experienced attorney. For current City Attorney employees this will be a lateral transfer. Applicants for this job announcement may be considered for future DCA vacancies as they occur.

Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of PRB attorneys selected for this position will be prosecuting civil law enforcement actions.
Requirements
• Licensed to practice law in all courts in the State of California;
• Minimum three (3) years substantive civil litigation and trial experience, including experience drafting and filing civil complaints, pursuing material evidence through civil discovery, litigating
cutting edge legal issues, engaging in multi-party settlement negotiations, and trying complex cases;
• Demonstrated high-level written and oral communication skills;
• Strong analytical and strategic skills;
• Experience taking and defending depositions and drafting and arguing dispositive motions; and
• Strong desire to serve the public interest.

The following qualifications are highly desirable:
• Experience litigating cases brought pursuant to Business & Professions Code Section 17200 et seq.;
• Experience litigating nuisance abatement maters;
• Experience litigating document intensive maters that require the use of eDiscovery platforms such as Relativity;
• Experience and ability working with governmental agencies, elected officials, public officials, and individual citizens;
• Interest in and ability to identify issues that can be addressed through affirmative litigation; and
• Experience working with local, state and federal law enforcement and regulatory agencies, and consumer and other advocacy groups.

Writing Sample
Candidates are required to submit two writing samples that they personally have authored in the last two years.

Benefits Offered

Medical, Dental, Vision
Life Insurance
Disability Insurance
Tax-Advantage Spending Accounts
Retirement Plan (LACERS)
Deferred Compensation Plan (457(b))
Employee and Family Assistance Program
Paid Time Off
- 13 Yearly Holidays
- Vacation
- Personal Leave
- Floating Holidays
- Sick Leave
- Bereavement Leave

Telework
This position may qualify for up to 3 days of telework per week after a probationary period.

Current Location
City Hall East, 200 N. Main Street, Los Angeles. Position is subject to assignment at any location within the County of Los Angeles.

COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement
For candidates seeking initial City employment, in accordance with Los Angeles City Ordinance 187134, information regarding COVID -19 vaccination requirements as conditions of employment may be found at: htps://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2021/21-0921_ord_187134_8-24-21.pdf

Probation
Appointment to this exempt position (non Civil-Service) will be subject to a two (2) year probationary period as required by Section 1050 of the City Charter. Successful completion of the two (2) 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

Application and Deadline
Attorneys interested in applying should submit their cover letter, resume, and writing samples in ONE (1) MERGED PDF FILE specifying #3375 – DCA – PUBLIC RIGHTS, via email to atty.recruit@lacity.org.
Qualified applicants will be invited to interview.

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.

For candidates seeking initial City employment, in accordance with Los Angeles City Ordinance 187134, information regarding COVID-19 vaccination requirements as conditions of employment may be found at: https://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2021/21-0921_ord_187134_8-24-21.pdf.

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