Deputy City Attorney II/III

The Employment Litigation Division defends City departments and individual City employees in employment litigation brought by current and former employees. The Division’s practice has a strong focus on public safety employees (Police and Fire); however, the work includes a variety of cases from many City departments.

Most of the litigation involves California state law employment theories, especially those arising under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”) and Labor Code § 1102.5 (the whistleblower statute). However, a working knowledge of labor law and theories in federal employment litigation is helpful in analyzing the cases. 

The selected attorney will be responsible for:

• Representing the City in all phases of trial level labor and employment litigation;
• Presenting recommendations to City Council and attendant bodies;
• Meeting with high ranking appointed and elected City employees and officials;
• Analyzing legal liability and damages at all phases of litigation;
• Law and motion preparation and argument;
• Creating and implementing a case handling and litigation strategy from inception of litigation through trial; and
• Other related duties as assigned

Applicants for this position must have a license to practice law in all of the courts in the State of California. Additional requirements include:

• Significant jury trial experience (civil or criminal) to verdict;
• At least three years of litigation practice in California Superior Court or United States District Court;
• Demonstrated strong research and writing skills in complex areas of law; 
• Ability to deal effectively with public officials, departmental personnel and members of the public;
• Strong analytical and reasoning skills, good judgment, and a strong work ethic; and
• Strong oral communication and advocacy skills. 

Requirements for Application 

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• List of jury trials 
• Candidates are required to submit two writing samples personally composed by the applicant in the past two years.

Current Location

City Hall, 200 N. Main Street, Los Angeles. Position is subject to assignment at any location of the Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney. 

Work Location and Parking

This position requires regular onsite work. Employer-provided parking is limited and may not be available for this classification. Employees may be responsible for securing and paying for parking at nearby facilities.

Applicants are encouraged to review available commute and transportation resources through the City’s COMMUTEwell program. For more information, please visit: https://lacommutewell.com. 

Probation

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

Classification

Current employees selected for this assignment will be placed through a lateral transfer and will retain their current classification.

Retirement Benefits

Employees participate in the Los Angeles City Employees’ Retirement System (LACERS), which includes mandatory employee pension contributions through payroll deduction. The City also contributes toward the employee’s retirement benefit. Contribution rates are established by the applicable retirement system and may

vary based on employee classification, membership status, and other factors. For more information, please visit: https://www.lacers.org. 

Application and Deadline

Interested candidates should go to:https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacityattorney/to apply online.

Conflict-of-Interest

This position is designated as Category 1 on theConflict-of-Interest Code. 

Contact

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

Salary : $131,669 - $249,328