Deputy City Attorney IV, Senior

The Office of the City Attorney is seeking a highly qualified attorney for the unclassified, at-will position of Deputy City Attorney IV, Senior. This role requires substantial experience in motions practice and appellate advocacy, and the selected candidate may be assigned by the City Attorney to new, additional, or alternate duties in either litigation or transactional work.

Within the Office, the appointed attorney will represent the City of Oakland, its officers, employees and agencies in a broad spectrum of high-stakes civil matters in both state and federal courts. These matters include, but are not limited to, inverse condemnation actions, eminent domain, complex civil rights litigation, high-value personal injury claims, wrongful death suits, collection of City-owed funds, employee disciplinary appeals before the Civil Service Board or hearing officers, personnel disputes, and other claims filed on behalf of or against the City.

This classification is the most advanced non-supervisory level in the Deputy City Attorney series, requiring extensive expertise in specialized municipal practice and the independent application of professional judgment. The incumbent will receive general supervision, but will exercise a high degree of autonomy in handling complex legal assignments. The City Attorney may assign the attorney to different or evolving practice areas as the needs of the Office dictate.

• Performing legal research, interpreting and applying laws.
• Appearing in court to present, argue, and try cases.
• Preparing pleadings and other papers in connection with trials, hearings, discovery and other legal proceedings.
• Reviewing and evaluating case files and making decisions regarding proper disposition.
• Studying, interpreting and applying laws, court decisions and other legal authorities in the preparation of cases, opinions and briefs
• Overseeing outside counsel.
• Skillfully and professionally presenting legal advice to attorneys and lay people and defending legal analyses.
• Inspiring confidence and respect for legal advice.
• 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.

• Interpret and apply various government codes and ordinances. 
• Conduct research on legal problems, prepare sound legal options. 
• Analyze and prepare a wide variety of legal documents.
• Present cases in court and administrative proceedings. 
• Handle stressful or sensitive situations with tact and diplomacy.
• Communicate effectively in both oral and written form with City officials, representatives of outside agencies and the public.
• Complete varied assignments within a narrow time frame.
• Establish and maintain effective work relationships with those contacted in the performance of required duties. 
• 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.
• Interact with other in-house attorneys as part of a team, and occasionally as team leader, to provide the best product to clients of the City Attorney's Office.

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

Experience

• Five years of increasingly responsible work experience comparable to a Deputy City Attorney III in the City of Oakland.

• Graduate of accredited school of law.

• A member in good standing with the California State Bar.
• Incumbents in this position are required to maintain a valid California' Driver's License during the 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 always be an efficient method for traveling to required locations. Should the candidate need accommodations or be ineligible for a Driver's License, the City Attorney's Office will work with the candidate to make such accommodations as appropriate.

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

Applicants are required to submit criminal history information upon request after receiving a conditional offer of employment. If the requested information is not furnished in a timely manner, applicants will not qualify for further consideration and will be removed from the eligible list.