DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY - POLA

job description

DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY III/IV
PORT OF LOS ANGELES (POLA)
Salary Range:
DCA III: $160,692 - $234,920
DCA IV: $184,286 - $269,414

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.
We seek collaborative team players who understand that fulfilling our mission, and fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment, are key to making a positive impact.

Description
The Port of Los Angeles (POLA) Division handles all legal matters for the Board of Harbor Commissioners, the Los Angeles Harbor Department, and Harbor Department management and staff.
The Port is a unique work environment, in which diverse legal matters arise.

Duties and Responsibilities
Division attorneys work closely, under the supervision of the Division’s General Counsel, with the members of the Board of Harbor Commissioners, Harbor Department management and staff on a wide variety of legal matters pertaining to the operation of the Port. The selected candidate is expected to focus on civil litigation, both defensive and affirmative, and appeals. The POLA Division routinely handles litigation and disputes, and other matters arising in the following areas: real estate (including unlawful detainer and landlord-tenant litigation); land use (including applicable environmental laws, the Tidelands Trust and the California Coastal Act); commercial transactions and competitive solicitations for construction, real estate and other opportunities at the Port; insurance coverage under liability and other forms of specialized policies; employment and personnel matters; tort and contract claims not covered by insurance. While the selected candidate is expected to focus on litigation in the aforementioned areas, they will also handle assignments involving compliance advice, and transactional matters in other areas listed below, depending on their skills and/or qualifications and the operational needs of the Division. Examples of these areas include:
? Municipal governance, primarily pursuant to the State Tidelands Act, Coastal Act, Los Angeles City Charter and Administrative Code, California Public Records Act, and Brown Act;
? Real Estate transactional, typically relating to leasing the property the Port holds in trust for the State;
? Transactional/Contracting/Financial/Business, relative to construction and service contracts, Requests for Proposals and other competitive solicitations undertaken by the Port, insurance and other agreements related to Department operations, and strategic commercial matters; tariffs setting rates and charges and operating rules for use of Harbor Department facilities; and revenue bonds;
? Regulatory/Environmental, in relation to CEQA, NEPA, Coastal Act, CERCLA, RCRA, and Clean Water Act, among other laws. This practice requires frequent work with the Regional Water Quality Control Board, Department of Toxic Substance Control, California Air Resources Board, South Coast Air Quality Management, and US Army Corps of Engineers;
? Construction/Development, and advice and counsel on project formulation and implementation, construction bidding and contracts and disputes;
? Risk Management, including insurance policies, claims and workers’ compensation.

Requirements
? Licensed to practice law in all courts in the State of California;
? Minimum ten (10) years relevant legal experience in one or more of the above-listed expertise areas;
? Demonstrated experience and success in civil litigation, with particular emphasis in one or more of the following areas: insurance coverage and insurance coverage litigation; defense of employment claims; and real estate and/or landlord-tenant litigation;
? Ability to deal effectively with their colleagues, public officials, non-attorney department personnel and members of the public.

Desired Qualifications
? Strong written and oral communication skills;
? Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
? Demonstrated success in civil litigation and/or appeals, preferably including successful trials and appeals. Applicants are requested to provide citations to any published cases in which they acted as counsel, and to summarize their role in such cases;
? Willingness to work in practice areas in which the applicant currently is not familiar.

Writing Sample
Candidates must provide two (2) writing samples they personally authored in the last two years, at least one of which, preferably, is a dispositive motion such as a motion for summary judgment.

Requirements for Application
? Cover letter
? Resume
? Writing Sample - Required to submit 2 writing samples

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.

Current Location
Los Angeles Harbor Administration Building, 425 S. Palos Verdes, 5th floor, San Pedro, CA 90731

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

Classification
Internal applicants: Placement in this position will be as a lateral transfer with the selected candidate assuming the position in their current classification. The candidate’s transfer will require approval from the CAO through the Prioritized Critical Hiring process.

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
Interested candidates should go to: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacityattorney/ to apply online and submit a cover letter, resume, and writing samples specifying #3410 - DCA III/IV - Port of Los Angeles.

Resumes will be accepted until this position is filled. 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.

Closing Date/Time: 12/24/24

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• City of Los Angeles

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