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

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.

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 Advisory Division includes the Land Use & Planning, Real Estate, General Government & Finance, Labor & Employment, and Code Enforcement units. The General and Complex Litigation Division includes defensive litigators and the Law & Motion/Writs & Appeals unit. The Affirmative Litigation, Enforcement and Innovation Division includes the Community Lawyering and Civil Rights, Neighborhood Law Corps and Housing Justice Initiative 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.

Job Duties

Duties may include but are not limited to:

• Perform legal research, interpret and apply laws.
• Handle matters pertaining to writs.
• Appear in court to present, argue and try cases.
• Prepare pleadings and other papers in connection with trials, hearings, discovery and other legal proceedings.
• Review and evaluate case files and make decisions regarding proper disposition.
• Study, interpret and apply laws, court decisions and other legal authorities in the preparation of cases, opinions and briefs.
• Oversee outside counsel.
• Skillfully and professionally present legal advice to attorneys and lay people and defend legal analyses.
• Inspire confidence and respect for legal advice.
• Interact with other in-house attorneys as part of a team and occasionally as team leader to provide the best produce for clients of the City Attorney's Office.
• Make presentations to the City Council in open or closed session

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.

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. assigned duties. 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, 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