Career Opportunity

Deputy City Attorney - Child/Family Team - City Attorney's Office (8177)

Recruitment: RTF0132902-01077825

Published: March 10, 2023

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About:

• Application Opening: March 10, 2023
• Application Deadline: Continuous, earliest close 5:00 p.m., March 24, 2023
• Recruitment ID: RTF0132902-01077825

About the Office: The San Francisco City Attorney’s 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 just over 300 talented and dedicated employees, the Office provides exceptional legal services to the City’s Mayor, Board of Supervisors, officials, and departments.  Our work empowers City leaders 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 the 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 City Attorney’s Office please visit: https://www.sfcityattorney.org/

To learn more about the Office’s efforts to provide a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace where employees feel they belong and can meaningfully contribute, please click here.

Role description

About the Team

The Team is a collaborative and dynamic group of 12 attorneys, two paralegals, and two legal secretaries.  Our team represents the interests of abused and neglected children in San Francisco. Dependency attorneys advise the Human Services Agency (Agency) prior to the filing of dependency petitions and represent the Agency in court in all phases of dependency litigation. The Team also handles all writs and appeals filed in dependency cases. Unlike typical court cases, there can be contested hearings an any phase of a dependency case and an appeal filed as a result of any hearing. 

Every party to a dependency action – both parents and the child – has court appointed counsel.  Any hearing can be set for contest, from the initial hearing (detention hearing), jurisdiction and disposition, review hearings (that occur every six months while parents receive reunification services), hearings to terminate services, hearings to terminate parental rights, and subsequent review hearings for youth who are in long term foster care or on a pre-adoption track.  In dependency, parents are afforded court appointed counsel and are entitled to appeal any court finding – with the exception of the detention hearing. Our appellate specialist handles all writs and appeals. In cases where the family has been with the Agency for many years, appellate records can be several hundred pages long.  Our Team also advises the Public Conservator and represents them in court proceedings on Lanterman Petris Short conservatorships. 

Deputy City Attorney Position and Responsibilities

Attorneys assigned to child welfare/dependency work juggle caseloads of close to 100 cases at various stages in the dependency process. In addition to working with social workers, they also work with professionals such as doctors (child abuse specialists), child psychologists and psychiatrists, law enforcement, and service providers. our Team also provides on going trainings for child welfare workers about the legal aspects of their practice including changes in the law, tips in writing court reports, dealing with opposing counsel and testifying.  In addition, we work with the Agency when confidential child welfare records are requested (i.e. by a parent or child, a criminal defendant, or a party to a family law case.)

How to qualify

Minimum Qualifications

• Licensed to practice law in California.

Desired Qualifications

• Three or more years of experience juvenile dependency child welfare.
• Ability to assume responsibility quickly and work independently and efficiently.
• Ability to manage a high volume, fast paced caseload and adjust to occasional workload increases.
• Excellent oral and written communication and advocacy skills.
• Ability to exercise good judgment, multi-task, and meet deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal skills and a positive attitude.
• Commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment.
• Desire 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 your resume and cover letter to https://careers.sf.gov/role/?id=3743990001406266 by Friday, March 24, 2023.  Applicants who advance in the selection process must submit two references and at least one 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.