DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY - PUBLIC RIGHTS BRANCH

job description

SUPERVISING ATTORNEY
Deputy City Attorney III/IV
PUBLIC RIGHTS BRANCH
SALARY
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 Public Rights Branch pursues civil enforcement matters, including complex, high impact matters, 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.

Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of the attorney selected for this position will be to serve as a supervisor in the Branch on complex, high impact and consumer protection matters, and to actively litigate such matters. The attorney will also assist with supervising and litigating other Branch litigation matters, and handling other tasks, as assigned by the Branch Chief.

Requirements

• Licensed to practice law in all courts in the State of California;
• Demonstrated ability to supervise other attorneys, including junior attorneys, on high impact and consumer protection litigation matters;
• Minimum ten (10) years substantive civil litigation and trial experience, including experience drafting and filing civil complaints, pursuing material evidence through civil discovery or pre-litigation investigations, litigating cutting edge legal issues, engaging in multi-party settlement negotiations, and trying complex cases;
• Demonstrated ability to litigate high impact matters and substantial knowledge of consumer protection investigations and litigation;
• Experience litigating document intensive matters that require the use of eDiscovery platforms such as Relativity;
• Experience working with governmental agencies, elected officials, public officials, and individual citizens;
• Demonstrated high-level written and oral communication skills;
• Strong analytical and strategic skills;
• Substantial experience taking and defending depositions and drafting and arguing dispositive motions; and
• Strong desire to serve the public interest.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience investigating and litigating other subject matters handled by the Public Rights Branch;
• Experience managing outside counsel.

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

Telework
This position may qualify for up to 3 days of telework per week.

Location
201 N. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, California. Position is subject to assignment at any location within the County of Los Ange les.

Probation (new employees only)
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. The candidate’s hiring will require approval from the CAO through the Prioritized Critical Hiring process.
Classification
Internal applicants: Placement in this position will be as a lateral transfer with the selected candidate assuming the position in their current classification. A candidate’s transfer from a different branch will require approval from the CAO through the Prioritized Critical Hiring process.

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 #3412 - DCA III/IV - Public Rights Branch.

Resumes will be accepted until Friday, January 10, 2025Qualified applicants will be invited to interview.

Conflict of Interest

This position is designated as Category 1 on the Conflict of Interest Code.

Contact

Questions? Please email atty.recruit@lacity.org .

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: 1/10/25

• 

• City of Los Angeles

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