Career Opportunity

Deputy City Attorney - Ethics & Elections Team - City Attorney's Office (8177)

Recruitment: RTF0130971-01077112

Published: January 19, 2023

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About:

• Application Opening: January 19, 2023
• Application Deadline: Continuous, earliest close 5:00 p.m. February 9, 2023
• Compensation Range: $138,710 - $242,996
• Recruitment ID: RTF0130971-01077112

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 Ethics and Elections Team 

The Ethics and Elections Team serves as general counsel to the San Francisco Ethics Commission, Department of Elections, Elections Commission, Ballot Simplification Committee, and Redistricting Task Force. The Team regularly provides advice about ethics, conflict of interest, campaign finance, and elections-related matters to the City’s elected officials, department heads, commissioners, and employees, and drafts legislation within its subject matter expertise. The Team also provides legal ethics advice to employees in the City Attorney’s Office.

Deputy City Attorney Position and Responsibilities

An attorney on the Ethics and Elections Team performs many functions – providing legal interpretations and advice, both orally and in writing, formally and informally, on a one-on-one basis or at public meetings. The attorney’s role includes interpreting City ordinances or advising on the legal risks of a particular government action; drafting ordinances, ballot measures, and administrative regulations; reviewing contracts for legal sufficiency; and providing legal advice to commissioners before and during commission meetings. The attorney will also frequently communicate and coordinate with Office deputies and officials across City government and provide training on ethics issues to City employees and other deputies.

How to qualify

Minimum Qualifications

• Licensed to practice law in California.

Desired Qualifications

• Three or more years practicing as an attorney
• Experience serving in an advice capacity as a government lawyer, ideally with some experience in ethics, conflict of interest, campaign finance, and elections-related laws
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, especially when explaining legal concepts and rules to non-lawyer clients
• Excellent legal analytical skills
• Ability to listen to client concerns, and develop appropriate options and solutions
• Commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment
• Strong interpersonal skills and a positive attitude
• Ability to quickly prioritize among different legal issues and assess legal risks
• Ability to assume responsibility for assignments and to work independently and efficiently
• Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues
• Ability to manage and appropriately balance multiple assignments, meet deadlines, and adjust to fluctuations in workload; and
• A commitment to public service. 

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=3743990000998376 by Thursday, February 9, 2023.  Applicants who advance in the selection process must submit at least two references and 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.