Legal Assistant - Outside Counsel - Budget and Finance

About Us

The Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney is one of the nation's largest municipal law offices. With over 1,000 legal professionals, including 500 attorneys, the Office provides the City with high caliber legal services. This includes prosecuting criminal misdemeanors, leading efforts in criminal justice reform, advising on homelessness initiatives, defending civil lawsuits and claims, and bringing civil enforcement actions in the name of the People of the State of California.

Guided by an overarching commitment to integrity, accountability and transparency, we find great meaning in the work we do and the services we provide.

We seek collaborative team players who understand that fulfilling our mission is key to making a positive impact.

The Outside Counsel Division of the Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney is responsible for managing all aspects of the City’s engagement with external legal counsel. This includes managing the selection and retention of outside law firms, negotiating and administering contracts, overseeing billing practices, and ensuring compliance with budgetary guidelines. The division works closely with internal legal teams and various City departments to identify needs for specialized legal expertise that cannot be fulfilled in-house.

The Legal Assistant in this division is responsible for conducting a thorough review of outside counsel invoices to ensure compliance with the applicable Outside Counsel contract, and City policies. This involves a detailed examination of billing entries to identify and flag issues such as block billing, administrative tasks, vague or excessive entries, and ensuring that all cost charges are supported by appropriate back up documentation. This position requires close coordination with the assigned attorney in our office, direct communication with the outside counsel firm, and coordination with other city department staff to resolve billing discrepancies, and ensure thorough documentation. Once invoices are approved for processing, the Legal Assistant is responsible for finalizing them for payment, including the preparation of vendor memos and, when applicable, department memos.
Additional responsibilities include supporting attorneys in drafting Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and contracts, reviewing RFP responses to ensure completeness, and confirming that all mandatory forms have been submitted.
The Legal Assistant is also responsible for maintaining the LACITY Ethics Database, updating the Office of Procurement’s contract databases (LAPOP/RAMPLA), and preparing Outside Counsel reports as needed.

Six months of legal administrative experience which requires knowledge of legal procedures and terminology and independent judgment in analyzing, interpreting and reviewing legal documents;
-or-
Successful completion of one Legal Assistant (Paralegal) class (equivalent to three units), which includes emphasis on legal procedures, terminology and the ability to use independent judgment in analyzing, interpreting and reviewing legal documents. Course may be taken through the City, a college or university.
Applicants must possess:
• Impeccable ethics, excellent organizational skills, and have the ability to work well with attorneys and staff of this Office, personnel from other agencies, and members of the public;
• Advanced level of proficiency with the use of Microsoft Access Database, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat;
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail in reviewing complex documents; and
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to coordinate effectively with in-house and external attorneys, and multiple city department personnel.
The hours for this position are generally 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Reliable attendance and punctuality are mandatory.

Desired Qualifications
• Understanding of legal billing and procurement processes.

Requirements for Application
• Cover Letter
• Resume

Current Location
200 N. Main St., Los Angeles CA. Position is subject to assignment at any location of the Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney.

Probation
Appointment to this exempt position (non-Civil Service) will be subject to a one-year probationary period as required by Section 1050 of the City Charter. Successful completion of the one-year probationary period will result in tenure with the office.

Application and Deadline
Interested candidates should go to: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacityattorney/ to apply online by 5:00 PM on August 7, 2025.

Conflict of Interest
This position is designated as Category 10 on the Conflict-of-Interest Code.

Contact
Questions? Please email atty.recruit@lacity.org.

AS A COVERED ENTITY UNDER TITLE Il OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF DISABILITY AND, UPON REQUEST, WILL PROVIDE REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION TO ENSURE EQUAL ACCESS TO ITS PROGRAMS, SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES. TO REQUEST A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION, PLEASE CALL (213) 978-7160.