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Job Description
Job Summary
The Santa Monica City Attorney's office seeks an attorney with at least five years’ experience to serve as a Deputy City Attorney in the Advisory Unit.
The Advisory Unit advises City Council, the City’s Boards and Commissions, and all City Departments on a wide range of municipal law issues, including, but not limited to, the Ralph M. Brown Act, California Environmental Quality Act, Political Reform Act, Public Records Act, housing, land use, real estate, public safety, labor and employment, public contracting, municipal finance, election law, conflicts of interest, First Amendment issues, and economic development. The Unit is also responsible for drafting resolutions, ordinances, and ballot measures, reviewing and drafting contracts, and drafting legal pleadings and responses.
Ideal candidates will demonstrate proficiency in advising city departments or public agencies, drafting ordinances and resolutions, staffing boards and commissions, and have a thorough understanding of regulations surrounding public safety issues, election and conflict law, public bidding and contracting, and demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills.
Duties may include but are not limited to:- Providing legal advice and interpretation of laws, statutes, regulations, and ordinances to elected officials, city departments, boards, and commissions.
- Drafting, reviewing, and approving complex contracts, ordinances, resolutions, policies, and other legal documents involving high-value or high-risk municipal interests.
- Representing the City in civil litigation, administrative hearings, and negotiations.
- Attending meetings of boards, commissions, and committees as may be required; rendering legal advice as requested.
- Ensuring strict legal compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations across all municipal operations, including emerging regulatory areas.
The successful applicant will have a combination of required and preferred qualifications.
Required qualifications:- Minimum of five years’ relevant experience, which should include general municipal law practice and litigation experience, including writs;
- Prior experience advising city departments or public agencies.
- Proficiency in drafting resolutions, ordinances, and contracts
- Ability to build and maintain relationships across all city departments; and
- Current and active license to practice law in the State of California
Preferred qualifications:- Experience staffing boards and commissions;
- Expertise in election law, conflicts law, administrative law, constitutional law, land use law, and/or other areas of municipal law;
- Demonstrated ability to prepare reports, letters, plans, agreements, and memoranda
- Ability to respond quickly to changing situations and requests
- Ability to assess and prioritize multiple tasks, projects, and demands
- Effectively prioritize and manage deadlines
- Trial and appellate experience in state and federal court; and
- Familiarity with government tort claims, tort law, and employment law
Unit placement and work assignments of Deputy City Attorneys are subject to change based on the operational needs and workload of the City Attorney’s Office overall. The hours of the position are 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on alternate Fridays. This is a 9/80 work schedule. Hybrid remote work schedule is currently available. Evening and weekend duties may be required to attend City Council meetings, Boards/Commission meetings, and other public meetings or events. A background check will be required prior to beginning employment. Salary range is: Deputy City Attorney II - $140,808 to $173,808, Deputy City Attorney III $218,124 to $269,292, and is dependent on qualifications and experience. This position is part of the Public Attorneys Union.
The City also offers excellent benefits. Equal Opportunity Employer.See the CAO EEO Policy on the City Attorney’s Office website . Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and the names of three references. These materials should be submitted in a single pdf document by email to: CAO.Opportunities@santamonica.gov with the subject line: “Application - Deputy City Attorney - Advisory Unit”; closing date Friday, January 23, 2026, by 12:00pm.
The City's liberal fringe benefits for full-time employment include sick leave, holiday and vacation pay, the Public Employees Retirement System, medical, dental and vision insurance, credit union, deferred compensation, tuition reimbursement, Dependent Care Assistance Plan and priority enrollment consideration at Hill & Dale Family Learning Center, Marine Park Child Development Center, and Santa Monica Early Childhood Lab School.
Closing Date/Time: 1/23/2026 12:00 PM Pacific -
Special Instructions
Please mention you found this employment opportunity on the CareersInGovernment.com job board. -
ABOUT THE COMPANY
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City of Santa Monica
Show moreSanta Monica is a beachside city of 8.3 square miles on the westside of Los Angeles County. Offering an environment of unparalleled natural beauty, the city is home to a mix of residential communities, commercial districts, and recreational venues. Recently named by National Geographic as one of the Top "10 Beach Cities in the World" and by TIME as one of the "Best Places to Live", Santa Monica features three miles of Pacific beaches and the Santa Monica Pier. Santa Monica’s residential population is approximately 93,000, increasing to an estimated 250,000 during the day with tourists, shoppers, and employees. Tourism attracts over 8 million visitors annually.
The City of Santa Monica was incorporated on November 30, 1886 and subsequently adopted a City Charter in 1945. In 1947, a City Council-City Manager form of government was established. The City Council consists of seven members elected by the community at large to four year terms.
The City of Santa Monica is a full-service city. City departments provide police, fire, a regional transportation network, water, refuse and recycling, streets, parking, planning, building, engineering, free public wifi, a high speed fiber optic network, parks, affordable housing, economic development, library, rent control, recreational, cultural, and educational services to the community.
The City-operated Big Blue Bus regional bus service provides over 16.5 million rides for customers each year, all powered by renewable natural gas. Breeze Bike Share was Southern California's first bike share system with 500 bikes at 85 locations. In 2016, the Metro Expo Line opened connecting Santa Monica to Downtown Los Angeles in under an hour.
The City of Santa Monica is a national leader in environmental, economic and social sustainability. The City is working toward aggressive climate action goals including: water self-sufficiency by 2020, zero waste by 2030, and carbon neutrality by 2050.
The highly-rated Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District serves both Santa Monica and Malibu residents. Santa Monica College (SMC), one of the state's top two-year community colleges, serves over 30,000 full-time and part-time students on several campuses and offers more than 90 fields of study. Santa Monica's strong education institutions are complemented by the 5-star rated Santa Monica Public Library system.
Public safety is a top priority in the City of Santa Monica. Santa Monica Fire Department continues to maintain a Class 1 ISO rating, the highest possible rating.
Santa Monica has a strong and diverse economy. Known as “Silicon Beach,” local businesses are at the leading edge of the nation’s creative economy and startup scene.
Sana Monica is also home to three renowned and respected health facilities, Providence Saint John’s Health Center, Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente.
Connect with the City of Santa Monica by visiting www.santamonica.gov, follow @santamonicacity on Twitter, or sign up for the City's newsletter and emergency alerts at www.smgov.net/newsletter.
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