Investigator I

About Us

The Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney is one of the nation's largest municipal law offices. With over 1,000 legal professionals, including 500 attorneys, the Office provides the City of Los Angeles (“City”) with the highest caliber of legal services, ranging from prosecuting criminal misdemeanors and playing a leading role in criminal justice reform to 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 is key to making a positive impact.

Description

The Public Rights Branch pursues civil enforcement matters, including complex, high impact matters, focusing on a variety of areas including unfair business and housing practices, wage theft, environmental protection, 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 Code regulations. The Branch also pursues False Claims Act and other civil claims, and engages in debt collection for the City.

Duties And Responsibilities

The responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to the following:

• Reviewing, documenting, analyzing and conducting follow-up investigations on referrals and complaints concerning all Branch practice areas;
• Conducting complex interviews of witnesses and victims;
• Gathering evidence and information to establish legal violations;
• Conducting complex investigations of problem businesses and properties including ownership status, and compliance history;
• Conducting site visits, surveillance and undercover investigations;
• Preparing clear written investigative reports and detailed witness statements;
• Serving subpoenas and obtaining public records, court records, or other evidence;
• Operating a vehicle to perform work tasks;
• Using applicable databases and other sources to identify and investigate income, assets, liabilities, and net worth of individuals and businesses;
• Maintaining a chain of custody of physical evidence;
• Testifying in court; and
• Handling a high volume of assignments from attorneys.
  
  

Requirements

• A valid Driver’s License;
• Knowledgeable in the operation of a personal computer, and surveillance equipment including cameras, video cameras and recording devises;
• Strong interpersonal skills, and comfort interacting with the public, department staff, and investigators from other law enforcement agencies;
• Ability to communicate clearly orally and in writing;
• Strong analytical skills;
• Ability to lift 25 pounds with or without accommodations; and
• Strong work ethic.
  
  

Desired Qualifications

• Experience conducting investigations in one or more of the Branch’s practice areas;
• Knowledge of investigative procedures and rules of evidence;
• Comfort with complex scientific topics;
• Knowledge of common sampling procedures and the ability to read and understand results;
• Fluency in a second language such as Spanish, Tagalog, Mandarin/Cantonese, or Korean.
  
  

Requirements For Application

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Writing sample that they personally have authored in the last two years.
  
  

Supplemental Information

Location

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

Probation

Appointment to this exempt position (non-Civil Service) will be subject to a one-yearprobationaryperiodasrequiredbySection1050oftheCityCharter.Successfulcompletionof the one-year probationary period will result in tenure with theoffice.

Conflict-of-Interest

This position is designated as Category 10 on the Conflict-of-Interest Code .

Application and Deadline

Interested candidates should go to: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacityattorney/ to apply online by Friday, May 8, 2026.

Qualified applicants will be invited to interview.

Contact

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

AS A COVERED ENTITY UNDER TITLE Il OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF DISABILITY AND, UPON REQUEST, WILL PROVIDE REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION TO ENSURE EQUAL ACCESS TO ITS PROGRAMS, SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES. TO REQUEST A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION, PLEASE CALL THE HUMAN RESOURCES DIVISION AT (213) 978-7160.