Assistant City Attorney (Criminal Division)

The San Diego City Attorney's Office protects the people of San Diego by serving as chief legal counsel to the City of San Diego’s elected officials and operational departments; prosecuting and defending civil cases involving the City; and as the City’s prosecutor on behalf of the People of the State of California, by holding accountable those who commit crimes against the public health and safety and violate other local and state laws. Our municipal law firm employs over 180 lawyers and approximately 230 support staff, dedicated to providing legal services to the City of San Diego.

The Office of the San Diego City Attorney has an opening for the Assistant City Attorney/Assistant City Prosecutor in the Criminal Division. The Assistant City Attorney reports directly to the City Attorney and is a member of the City Attorney’s Executive Team.

In addition to the civil legal work of the City of San Diego, the City Attorney's Office serves as the City’s prosecutor on behalf of the People of the State of California. Under the direction of the Assistant City Attorney, the Criminal and Community Justice Division prosecutes misdemeanor cases within the City’s jurisdiction, participates in collaborative courts, and prosecutes criminal nuisances. The Division handles a wide range of crimes, including driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, drug possession and use, battery, domestic violence, vandalism, graffiti, theft, weapons and firearms offenses, reckless driving, hit-and-run, furnishing alcohol to minors, minors in possession of alcohol, resisting arrest, embezzlement, and identity theft.

The City’s prosecutors collaborate with the community, police, and other law enforcement agencies to promote safety and justice. The Division is organized into seven units: Case Issuance Unit, General Trial Unit, Domestic Violence and Sex Crimes Unit, Special Prosecutions Unit, Appellate Unit, Neighborhood Justice and Collaborative Courts Unit, and Prosecution Operations Unit. Prosecutors also work closely with Your Safe Place – the San Diego Family Justice Center, to ensure domestic violence victims have access to services necessary to keep them safe.

The Division also oversees the Community Justice Initiative and the collaborative courts program, which includes Behavioral Health Court, Mental Health Diversion, Veterans’ Treatment Court, Military Diversion, Drug Court, and Homeless Court.  As prosecutors dedicated to community justice, the Office is committed to advocating for the best solutions to safeguard public safety, including facilitating an offender’s transition back into society through appropriate treatment and supervision. This integrated strategy aims to reduce the likelihood of recidivism, promoting a safer and fairer community for everyone.

The City Attorney’s Office employs more than 180 lawyers and 230 support staff, with about 65 deputies and 95 support staff reporting to the Criminal and Community Justice Division Assistant City Attorney.

The position is unclassified, at-will, and serves at the pleasure of the City Attorney. 

Responsibilities include:

• Overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Division;
• Supervising, training, and mentoring Division chiefs and deputy city attorneys;
• Recruiting and hiring deputy city attorneys; 
• Supervising, training, and mentoring senior support personnel;
• Recruiting and hiring support personnel;
• Providing procedural and strategic guidance and oversight to the Division chiefs and supervisors;
• Drafting and implementing policies and procedures for the Division;
• Communicating with justice partners, including the judicial branch, defense bar, and local law enforcement agencies;
• Advocating for victim-centric legislation;
• Creating office programs that are responsive to community needs;
• Overseeing the submission and administration of grants;
• Appearing before the City Council, Council Committees, and community groups on matters related to the Division;
• Assigning, monitoring, and evaluating cases; 
• Assisting with media responses;
• Attending weekly Executive Team meetings; and
• Performing other duties as assigned.

Applicants are required to:

• Be an active member in good standing with the State Bar of California with a background in criminal legal work.
• Licensed to practice law in all courts in the State of California, the United States District Court, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
• Possess strong analytical, research, writing, and oral presentation skills; be a practical problem-solver and team player; have good time management skills; and demonstrate effective communication and conflict resolution skills. 

The ideal candidate will have at least ten or more years of experience as a licensed attorney, significant trial experience, proven managerial experience, strong references, and experience working with municipalities and elected officials.

Attorneys in this position must be able to travel to locations outside the office for legal proceedings or meetings. Therefore, possession of a valid California Class C driver's license and personal vehicle, or the ability to travel to various locations throughout the City in a timely manner, is required.

Attorneys in this position must be able to travel to locations outside the office for court hearings, depositions, or meetings; therefore, possession of a valid California Class C driver's license and personal vehicle or other means to travel are required. 

NOTES:

Work-life balance is important to us! The City Attorney's Office generally supports remote teleworking and the position may allow for a hybrid schedule with a mix of in-office and remote work after the introductory and probationary period. Please refer to the Office's teleworking policy. 

Compensation and Benefits: The successful candidate’s annual salary is based on the Deputy City Attorney salary table and dependent on qualifications and level of relevant legal experience. For further salary information, refer to the Deputy City Attorney Salary Table.

In addition to a competitive salary, the City of San Diego offers a comprehensive benefits package including: 

• Participation in the City's Flexible Benefits Plan, which offers several optional benefit plans or a taxable cash option.
• $50,000 in City-paid life insurance.
• Flexible Spending Accounts.
• Paid annual leave (paid time off) accruing at 22 days per year for the 1st through 15th year of service.
• San Diego City Employees’ Retirement System (SDCERS) defined benefit (pension) plan.
• Voluntary Defined Contribution Plans (401(k)/457(b)).
• Retiree Medical Trust Plan.
• Holidays – Eleven (11) paid holidays are provided annually and one (1) Floating Holiday in a fiscal year.
• Long-Term Disability Income Plan.
• Eleven paid holidays annually and one floating holiday (paid time off) each fiscal year.

Other Miscellaneous Benefits: 

• Free MTS transit pass.
• City-awarded discretionary leave (paid time off).
• Up to 8 weeks of paid Parental Leave.
• Paid time off for jury duty. 
• Up to 40 hours of paid Bereavement Leave each fiscal year.
• Professional Development Reimbursement up to $2,000 for the cost of professional tuition, publications, and equipment purchases each fiscal year.
• Employee Assistance Program.

To learn more about employee benefits, please review the Benefits Summary for Unclassified Employees. Some benefits currently offered to employees may be modified in the future. 

For further information, please contact the Risk Management Department at (619) 236-6600. Retirement benefits for this unclassified position depend on the candidate's eligible status (new hire, rehire, etc.). 

Pre-Employment Requirements: 
 Employment offers are conditional pending the results of all screening processes that are applicable to this job, which may include but are not limited to the following: 

• Proof of citizenship or legal right to work in the United States. 
• Reference checks. 
• Fingerprint checks: fingerprints will be submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice for a conviction record report. 
• Additional screening processes such as a background investigation. 

All these processes must be successfully completed before employment begins. Misrepresentation, falsification, or omission of pertinent facts in any step of the screening or selection process may be cause for disqualification or termination of employment. The City of San Diego is committed to a drug and alcohol-free workplace. 

How to Apply:

The San Diego City Attorney’s Office accepts online applications.  To apply, select the position title of the job opportunity and click the "Apply" link. If you need assistance, please refer to our online employment application guide: 

To be considered for this position, applicants will need to submit the following by the closing date:

• San Diego City Attorney employment application, including supplemental questions.
• Cover letter and resume. 
• A writing sample (no more than 5 pages; can be an excerpt of a document) that demonstrates their legal writing skills and reflects their own original work product.  

Following the closing date, resumes will be screened according to the qualifications outlined above. Only the most qualified candidates will be invited to interview. If a job has an extended deadline, applications will be considered during the extension period; however, a job may be filled before the extended date is reached. The interview process may be used to fill additional, future vacancies.

Individuals must be able to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation. If an applicant has questions or concerns related to the recruitment process or needs accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, contact (619) 533-5811. The City of San Diego has an active Equal Opportunity/ADA Program for employment and strongly supports diversity in the workplace. 

Nothing in this job posting constitutes an express or implied contract for employment with the City of San Diego.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION:  The San Diego City Attorney's Office is deeply committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. It is vitally important to the Office that as public servants, we represent the community we serve. To that end, the Office strongly encourages applicants of diverse backgrounds to apply. In furtherance of the Office’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, the Office has an active Committee for Diversity & Inclusion and Racial Equity Task Force.