Deputy City Attorney III (General and Complex Litigation Division (Defense)

City of Oakland; Oakland (CA); On-site; USD 164,000 - 203,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Deputy City Attorney III to join their dynamic General and Complex Litigation Division. This role involves handling a variety of legal cases, including torts and civil rights, while providing essential legal advice to city officials. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in litigation, excellent communication skills, and a commitment to equity and justice. You'll be part of a collaborative team working on high-profile cases that impact the community. If you're passionate about public service and making a difference, this opportunity is perfect for you.

Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Pension Plan

Telecommuting Opportunities

Professional Development Allowance

Qualifications

• Two years of experience in a similar legal role, independently litigating cases.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills are essential.

Responsibilities

• Perform legal research and apply laws in various cases.
• Present and argue cases in court, preparing necessary legal documents.
• Oversee outside counsel and provide legal advice to clients.

Skills

Litigation

Legal Research

Communication Skills

Analytical Skills

Interpersonal Skills

Education

Law School Graduate

Tools

Legal Software

Job description

The City of Oakland is an equal opportunity employer that values workforce diversity, inclusion, and equity. Oakland has a long history of activism around issues of justice and equity. Both oppression and this resistance to oppression have shaped the city’s historical roots and the lives of its residents to this day. As public servants in one of the most diverse cities in the nation, we strive to develop employees who understand the harm and impacts of systemic inequity to create lasting, meaningful outcomes for everyone. Oakland strives to establish an environment that embraces the richness of culture, community, and individualism of employees.

Salary Range: Deputy City Attorney III : $164,730.72 - $202,265.88 annually
Benefits: Health, dental, vision, pension, telecommuting opportunities, professional development allowance and other competitive benefits.

THE POSITION

The Office of the City Attorney seeks a well-qualified individual for a Deputy City Attorney III position in the General and Complex Litigation Division of the Office of the City Attorney. The majority of lawsuits filed against the City involve tort cases and this position will handle a significant number of such cases as well as other cases, including but not limited to breach of contract, inverse condemnation, and civil rights.

ABOUT THE OFFICE

The City Attorney’s Office provides advice and counsel to the Mayor, City Council, and all City departments, boards and commissions in a wide variety of areas spanning the range of municipal law, including but not limited to, land use, real estate, personnel, elections, conflicts of interest, municipal finance, retirement, housing, public contracting and economic development. The City Attorney’s Office also advocates for the City’s interests in claims and lawsuits litigated in state or federal court, including high-value personal injury cases, complex civil rights actions, breach of contract, personnel disputes, eminent domain actions, inverse condemnation and alleged Constitutional violations.

The Office has approximately 82 employees and three legal divisions: Advisory, General and Complex Litigation, and Affirmative Litigation, Enforcement and Innovation. The work is high profile, dynamic, collaborative, and complex. The work is also of vital importance to the City’s realization of its progressive and cutting-edge policies and programs, and to the City’s delivery of services to Oakland’s residents and businesses.

JOB DUTIES

Duties may include but are not limited to:

1. Performing legal research, interpreting, and applying laws.
2. Handling matters pertaining to writs.
3. Appearing in court to present, argue and try cases.
4. Preparing pleadings and other papers in connection with trials, hearings, discovery and other legal proceedings.
5. Reviewing and evaluating case files and making decisions regarding proper disposition.
6. Studying, interpreting and applying laws, court decisions and other legal authorities in the preparation of cases, opinions and briefs.
7. Overseeing outside counsel.
8. Skillfully and professionally presenting legal advice to attorneys and lay people and defending legal analyses.
9. Inspiring confidence and respect for legal advice.
10. Interacting with other in-house attorneys as part of a team and occasionally as team leader to provide the best product for clients of the City Attorney’s Office.
11. Making presentations to the City Council in open or closed session.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICATION

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

Experience:

• For DCA III position: Two years of increasingly responsible work experience comparable to a Deputy City Attorney II in the City of Oakland.
• The ideal candidate will have experience independently litigating cases from initial filing to disposition in state and federal court, taking and defending depositions, and drafting and arguing a wide range of motions.
• Candidates must have excellent verbal communication skills as well as writing and oral presentation skills.

Education:

• Law school graduate.

License or Certificate:

• A member in good standing of the California State Bar.
• Selected individuals will be required to maintain a valid California Driver’s License during City employment or demonstrate the ability to travel to required locations in a timely manner. Due to assignments and hours of work, public transportation may not be an efficient method for traveling to required locations.

Additional Desirable Skills:

• Working knowledge of municipal, state and federal laws, ordinances and codes affecting City governance.
• Working knowledge of local court rules and procedures.
• Language skills, especially in Spanish, Cantonese and/or Mandarin.

Ability to:

• Interpret and apply various government codes and ordinances.
• Conduct research on legal problems and prepare sound legal opinions.
• Analyze and prepare a wide variety of legal documents.
• Present cases in court and administrative proceedings.
• Handle stressful and sensitive situations with tact and diplomacy, including across lines of difference and throughout the spectrum of diversity.
• Provide professional leadership, guidance and technical expertise to assigned staff.
• Work independently or as part of a team.
• Bring compassion, creativity, and clarity to challenging legal issues related to poverty and racial justice.
• Communicate effectively in both oral and written form with City officials, representatives of outside agencies and the public, and in litigation.
• Complete varied assignments within a narrow time frame.
• Establish and maintain effective work relationships with clients and other contacts in the course of work.
• Possess working knowledge of legal research methods.
• Inspire confidence and respect for legal advice.
• Skillfully and professionally present legal advice to clients, including the elected and high-level appointed officials.

HOW TO APPLY

This is a continuous recruitment. This recruitment may close without notice at any time. APPLICATIONS ARE ACCEPTED ONLINE ONLY.

You may apply and view current openings by visiting our employment opportunities webpage at: http://agency.governmentjobs.com/oaklandca/default.cfm.

Our online application system is provided by NeoGov. If you have problems while applying online, please contact NeoGov's Live Applicant Support at [phone] between 6:00 AM and 5:00 PM Pacific Time, Monday - Friday. You may also call the City of Oakland Human Resources Management Department during regular business hours at [phone] for information; however, we are unable to provide technical support for the online application system.

Candidates selected to proceed in the hiring process will be asked to submit additional information (e.g., a writing sample, references, answers to supplemental questions, and a formal City of Oakland employment application). If you have questions about the position, email [e-mail].

The City of Oakland is an Equal Opportunity / ADA employer.