Deputy City Attorney II/III General Government & Finance

CITY OF OAKLAND

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY II OR III

GENERAL GOVERNMENT & FINANCE

Open: January 30, 2025

Deadline to Apply: Open until filled

Salary Range: Deputy City Attorney II: $146,480.16 to 179,864.52 annually

                         Deputy City Attorney III: $161,500.68 to $198,299.88 annually

Benefits: Health, dental, vision, pension, telecommuting opportunities, professional development allowance and other competitive benefits 

THE POSITION 

The Office of the City Attorney seeks an attorney to join our General Government & Finance Team. The attorney will work closely with various City leaders, departments, and bodies, including the Department of Finance, City Administrator and City Council, on a wide range of municipal government and finance matters.

Duties may include, but will not be limited to, providing legal advice and review related to: municipal finance, revenue, bonds, taxation, fees, formation of special assessment and other districts, elections and ballot measures, ethics and conflict of interest, public records, open meetings laws, parliamentary procedure and contracting. An interest in these areas of law is a must, and experience is a plus.

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 two legal divisions: the Advisory and Litigation Divisions. The Advisory Division includes the Land Use & Planning, Real Estate, General Government & Finance, Labor & Employment, and Code Enforcement units. The Litigation Division includes the General & Complex Litigation (Defense), Law & Motion/Writs & Appeals units; and the Community Lawyering and Civil Rights, Neighborhood Law Corps and Housing Justice Initiative affirmative litigation units. 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.

Duties may include but are not limited to: 

• Providing advice and legal opinions on general government matters such as municipal finance, taxes and fees, formation of special assessment and other districts, public ethics and conflict of interest, ballot measures, public contracting, grant agreements, open meetings, public records laws, constitutional law and parliamentary procedure to the City Administrator, Department heads, the Mayor, City Council and City departments, boards and commissions and City staff.
• Preparing legal opinions, ordinances, resolutions, and other legal documents.
• Representing the City Attorney at meetings of the City Council, City Council committees and other public meetings, and providing advice on parliamentary procedure, the Brown Act and local Sunshine laws.

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 II position: Two years of increasingly responsible work experience in one or more relevant areas of law. 
• For DCA III position: Two years of increasingly responsible work experience in one or more relevant areas of law comparable to a Deputy City Attorney II position in the City of Oakland. 

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 or 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 affecting City governance. 
• Language skills, especially in Spanish, Cantonese and/or Mandarin.
• The ideal candidate will have a strong interest in one or more of the following: municipal finance, taxes, budgets, master fee schedules, election measures, special assessment districts, and/or public contracting including federal and state-funded contracts and grant agreements. 
• Experience in municipal finance, revenue, bonds, taxation, fees, formation of special assessment and other districts, elections and ballot measures, ethics and conflict of interest, public records, open meetings laws, parliamentary procedure and/or contracting is a plus. An interest in municipal finance, revenue, bonds, taxation, fees and/or formation of special assessment and other districts is a must. 
• Candidates must have excellent writing and oral presentation skills. 

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. 
• 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 working relationships with clients and other contacts in the course of work. 
• 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

Submit a cover letter and resume by email to: jobs@oaklandcityattorney.org

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). 

The City of Oakland is an Equal Opportunity / ADA employer 

Salary : $146,480 - $179,865