Career Opportunity

Deputy City Attorney - Complex & Affirmative Litigation Team - City Attorney's Office (8177)

Recruitment: RTF0130975-01125349

Published: January 25, 2023

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About:

• Application Opening: January 25, 2023
• Application Deadline: Continuous, earliest close 5:00 p.m. February 15, 2023
• Compensation Range: $138,710 - $242,996
• Recruitment ID: RTF0130975-01125349

About the Office: The San Francisco City Attorney’s Office (Office) is an innovative, nationally-recognized municipal law office working to protect and advance the rights and interests of the City and County of San Francisco and its residents. With over 300 talented, dedicated, and diverse employees, the Office provides exceptional legal services to the City’s Mayor, Board of Supervisors, officials, and departments. Our work empowers the City’s public servants with effective, responsive, and creative legal solutions and representation so they can deliver critical public services and our affirmative advocacy enhances the lives and wellbeing of San Francisco’s residents and visitors.

The Office recognizes that diversity in the backgrounds, identities, ideas, and lived experiences of our employees enriches our workplace and enhances our work. We aspire to recruit, employ, retain, and promote talented individuals representing the full spectrum of our community, and welcome all candidates, including candidates of any race, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, and age, and candidates with disabilities. We have a clear vision: to be the place where a diverse mix of people want to come and stay, grow professionally, and find purpose and engagement, and where all employees feel welcomed and respected for their full authentic selves, and valued for their work and contributions to the Office and the City. To learn more about the Office’s efforts to provide an inclusive workplace where employees feel they belong and can meaningfully contribute, please click here.

The Office offers a hybrid remote work schedule for eligible employees, with three days onsite and up to two days remote.

To learn more about the City Attorney’s Office please visit: https://www.sfcityattorney.org/

Role description

About the Complex and Affirmative Litigation Team

The team is a collaborative, nimble, and dynamic group of attorneys, paralegals, and legal secretaries. The team handles both affirmative and defensive matters, in state and federal court, in trial and on appeal. The team’s docket is extraordinarily broad, and generally involves at least one or more of the following: novel legal issues, constitutional concerns, statewide and/or nationwide remedies and public policy reforms, or a large volume of litigants, witnesses, and/or evidence. In addition to representing the City and County of San Francisco, the team pursues affirmative litigation as determined by the City Attorney on behalf of the People of the State of California to remedy unlawful, fraudulent, and unfair business practices throughout the state and public nuisances. The team also participates in the San Francisco Affirmative Litigation Project, a partnership between the City Attorney’s Office and Yale Law School, which pairs Yale law students with lawyers across the Office who are developing and/or litigating complex affirmative litigation matters.

Deputy City Attorney Position and Responsibilities

Attorneys on the team handle both affirmative and defensive matters, including tax matters and complex contract disputes. The vast majority of matters require team members to work collaboratively with other lawyers and staff across the Office. Attorneys on the team manage all aspects of their cases, including case development and assessment, litigation strategy, discovery and document review, motion practice, settlement evaluation and negotiation, trial and appeal. 

How to qualify

Minimum Qualifications

• Licensed to practice law in California.

Desired Qualifications

• Five or more years of civil litigation experience, including case development and trial experience;
• Excellent written and oral communication and advocacy skills;
• Experience with e-discovery;
• An interest, comfort, and good working knowledge of sophisticated document review tools;
• Ability to assume responsibility quickly, work both collaboratively and independently, and think deeply and thoroughly about novel substantive and procedural legal issues;
• Ability to work effectively and efficiently within ambitious internal deadlines, and adjust to last minute assignments and workload increases with agility and adaptability;
• Ability to identify, investigate, and litigate large affirmative cases as well as vigorously defend complex defensive matters in both state and federal courts;
• Ability to work effectively and collaboratively with paralegals, legal assistants, and other colleagues;
• Ability to exercise excellent judgment, multi-task, and be curious;
• Commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment;
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a positive attitude; and
• Interest and ability to work successfully as part of a team.

What else should I know?

Salary and Benefits

The Deputy City Attorney position has a 16-step salary scale ranging from $138,710 - $242,996. The successful applicant is appointed to a salary step based on years of experience as a lawyer. The City offers robust health, retirement, and other benefits. For more information please visit: https://sfdhr.org/benefits-overview. Attorneys are represented by the Municipal Attorneys Association.  Information about compensation and benefits is available by entering Classification Code 8177 at https://careers.sf.gov/classifications/.

Application

To apply for this position, please submit a resume and cover letter to https://careers.sf.gov/role/?id=3743990001020306 by Wednesday, February 15, 2023. Applicants who advance in the selection process must submit three references and a writing sample.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:  All City and County of San Francisco employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Someone is fully vaccinated when 14 days have passed since they received the final dose of a two-shot vaccine or a dose of a one-shot vaccine. Any new hire must present proof of full vaccination status to be appointed. Any new hire who will be routinely assigned or occasionally enter High-Risk Settings, must provide proof of having received a COVID-19 booster vaccine by March 1, 2022, or once eligible.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.