The San Francisco City Attorney’s Office is looking for a qualified and motivated attorney to join its Litigation Team.
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 San Francisco and its residents. With just over 300 talented, dedicated attorneys and staff, the Office provides the highest quality 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 for the betterment of the San Francisco community.
The Office recognizes that diversity in the backgrounds, ideas and experiences of our employees enriches our workplace and enhances our work. Our commitment to diversity is reflected in our team of attorneys and staff. We aspire to recruit, employ, retain and promote capable 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, age and candidates with disabilities. We have a clear vision: to be the place where a diverse mix of talented people want to come and stay, and where employees feel engaged 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/
About the Litigation Team
The Trial Team is a collaborative, nimble, and dynamic group of attorneys, paralegals, legal assistants and legal secretaries. The Team primarily defends lawsuits filed against the City and County of San Francisco and its employees in state and federal court, handling all phases of litigation from discovery and motion practice through trial and appeal. The Team’s docket is extraordinarily broad, and ranges from personal injury accidents to taxation, land use to constitutional torts. The Trial Team represents employees from all City departments and touches every aspect of the City’s operations, from transit to sewer, law enforcement to public health. Trial Team deputies may also handle select affirmative matters, including restraining orders based on workplace harassment or the threat of gun violence. Trial Team members also work on cross-team assignments on an as-needed basis, including helping City departments assess litigation risks, respond to third-party discovery, and respond to crisis situations.
Deputy City Attorney Position and Responsibilities
Attorneys on the Trial Team are assigned defensive matters, primarily involving accidents or injuries involving City operations, but also including constitutional claims, tax matters, and contractual disputes. Most cases can be handled independently, but some require team members to work collaboratively with other lawyers and staff across the Office. DCAs handle all aspects of their cases, including case intake and assessment, litigation strategy, discovery and document review, motion practice, settlement evaluation and negotiation, trial and appeal.
Minimum Qualifications
· Licensed to practice law in California.
Desired Qualifications
· Ability to assume responsibility quickly, work both collaboratively and independently, and identify and assess substantive and procedural legal issues.
· Work effectively and efficiently within multiple competing deadlines, adjust to workload changes and dive into new assignments quickly.
· Excellent written and oral communication and advocacy skills.
· Ability to manage, investigate, and litigate multiple defensive matters in both state and federal courts.
· Work effectively with paralegals, legal assistants, investigators, and other support staff.
· Experience with e-discovery.
· Exhibit an interest, comfort, and good working knowledge of sophisticated document review tools.
· Ability to exercise excellent judgment, multi-task, and be curious.
· Excellent interpersonal skills and a positive attitude.
· Interest and ability to work successfully as part of a team.
· Three or more years of civil litigation experience, including trial experience.
Salary and Benefits
The Deputy City Attorney position has a 16-step salary scale ranging from $131,114 – $229,736. 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 can be found here: 8177 Attorney – Classification & Compensation
COVID-19 Vaccination Required as a Condition of Employment
The City and the Office are committed to the health and safety of our employees. Under the City’s Vaccination Policy, all City and County of San Francisco employees are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. For details on how this condition applies to your employment, please click here.
Application
To apply for this position, please submit your resume and cover letter to careeropportunities@sfcityatty.org and specify that you are applying for the Litigation Team position. Applicants who advance in the selection process must submit at least two references and at least one writing sample.
