ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY

Class specifications are intended to present a descriptive list of the range of duties performed by employees in the class. Specifications are not intended to reflect all duties performed within the job.

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION

Under general direction, provides expert legal counsel for the City on a wide variety of complex legal matters; functions as a principal assistant to the City Attorney; investigates, evaluates and resolves some of the most complex legal matters for the City; represents the City in litigation; receives and reviews claims and lawsuits against the City and recommends settlements; assists in training, motivating, and evaluating less experienced attorneys; and performs a variety of legal duties supporting the City Attorney, City Council, City departments and boards and commissions. This is the most experienced level in the Attorney series and requires significant and broad experience that demonstrates a high level of proficiency. This level is assigned the most complex projects and provides significant staff assistance to the City Attorney.

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES

The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed duties and/or may be required to perform additional or different duties from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices.

• Oversees and represents the City in litigation cases; handles all aspects of assigned cases/claims including investigation, pleading preparation, discovery, law and motion, court appearances, settlement negotiations, legal research, witness preparation and trials.
• Performs legal research and prepares legal opinions on various legal problems for City departments, City Council, and City Boards and Commissions; confers with the City Attorney to determine legal policy; studies and interprets the constitution, laws, court decisions, ordinances, and other legal authorities to give legal advice or prepare opinions.
• Researches, reviews, and prepares proposed ordinances, resolutions, policies, and other legislation.
• Oversees and/or investigates claims by or against the City and recommends action to be taken; assists in or prepares cases for hearings; represents the municipality in hearings; prepares cases for trial; tries cases in court as necessary.
• Prepares, reviews, and examines complex contracts, agreements, briefs, bid protests, dispute resolutions, change orders, delay claims, ordinances and other legal documents for City departments; represents the City’s interest in contract negotiation and carries out goals of such contracts.
• Manages and coordinates provision of legal services by other City attorneys as assigned; works closely on various complex projects or legal matters requiring the involvement of specialized outside legal counsel.
• Assists in training, motivating, and evaluating legal support personnel; may provide direct or indirect supervision; serves as a mentor to less experienced attorneys; provides or coordinates staff training; works with employees to correct deficiencies; implements discipline and termination procedures.
• Responds to citizen inquiries regarding all types of legal issues including those concerning City business.
• Attends and participates in professional group meetings; stays abreast of new trends and innovations in the field of law.
• Performs related duties as required.

QUALIFICATIONS

The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period of time in order to successfully perform the assigned duties.

Knowledge of:

• Advanced legal principles, practices, and procedures of civil, criminal, constitutional, and administrative law.
• General and public contract law.
• Memoranda of Understanding/Agreement, and other policies and procedures governing employee affairs.
• Advanced methods and techniques of legal research.
• Duties, powers, and limitations of a city government.
• Legal principles and developments.
• Appellate practices.
• Judicial procedures and rules of evidence.
• Legal precedents and court decisions impacting assigned litigation area.
• Office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications.
• Principles and techniques of public relations.
• Principles of supervision, training and performance evaluation.
• Pertinent federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations.

Ability to:

• Provide expert legal advice to city departments.
• Defend or prosecute assigned cases from inception through trial.
• Properly interpret and make decisions in accordance with laws, regulations and policies.
• Read, understand, interpret, apply and explain codes, regulations and other written materials.
• Prepare clear and concise legal documents, including but not limited to, pleadings, briefs, ordinances,
• resolutions, correspondence and supporting documents.
• Conduct research on legal problems and prepare sound legal opinion.
• Effectively conduct complex and difficult negotiations.
• Supervise, train and evaluate staff.
• Develop and provide training to employees.
• Serve as a mentor and resource.
• Operate office equipment including computers and supporting software applications.
• Demonstrate an awareness and appreciation of the cultural diversity of the community.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Demonstrate an awareness and appreciation of the cultural diversity of the community.

Education and Experience Guidelines - Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Education/Training: Graduation from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association with a Juris Doctorate degree.

Experience: Five years of increasingly responsible experience in the practice of law including trial experience; experience with local government is highly desirable.

License or Certificate - Active membership in the State Bar of California.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT

The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

Environment: Standard office setting. CONTINUOUS working indoors, dust from paperwork. Work schedule is 9/80 with alternating Fridays off in a biweekly period. Work environment is both formal and informal, team oriented, having variable tasks, pace, and pressure. Work is performed indoors in office and in meeting rooms.

Physical: Primary functions require sufficient physical ability to work in an office setting and operate office equipment. CONTINUOUS sitting and upward and downward flexion of neck; fine finger dexterity; light to moderate finger pressure to manipulate keyboard, equipment controls, and office equipment; pinch grasp to manipulate writing utensils. FREQUENT side-to-side turning of neck, walking, standing, bending, stooping, pushing/pulling, and twisting at waist; moderate wrist torque to twist equipment knobs and dials; lifting objects weighing up to 20 lbs. from below waist to above shoulders and transporting distances up to 50 yards. OCCASIONAL squatting, kneeling, and reaching above and at shoulder height; moderate grasp to manipulate reference books and manuals; lifting objects weighing 20-35 lbs. from below waist to above shoulders and transporting distances up to 50 feet.

Vision: See in the normal visual range with or without correction; vision sufficient to read computer screens and printed documents and to operate equipment.

Hearing: Hear in the normal audio range with or without correction.

Revised: September 2007
MH/Department

Date: April 2003
Johnson & Associates