Deputy City Attorney III/IV

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 of Los Angeles (“City”) with the highest caliber of legal services, ranging from prosecuting criminal misdemeanors and playing a leading role in criminal justice reform to 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 Oversight Division has an immediate opening for an experienced attorney.  The Outside Counsel Oversight Division is responsible for managing the solicitation, contracting, supervision and payment of all law firms retained to assist the City Attorney in litigation or with advice that the Office does not have the expertise or resources to handle in-house.

This attorney will assist primarily with the funding and expenditure responsibilities of the Division, including:

• Performing thorough analyses of the fiscal budgets submitted by outside counsel in support of funding;  
• Reviewing monthly invoices of outside counsel to ensure compliance with the contract, consistency with projected budgets, and reasonableness;
• Adjusting monthly invoices, as appropriate, and approving for payment;
• Attending Outside Counsel Committee meetings;
• Attending Budget & Finance Committee meetings on outside counsel funding requests; and
• Interacting with outside counsel attorneys.

Applicants for this position must have a valid license to practice law in all of the courts within the State of California.  Additional requirements include:

• Minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience in a law firm or in-house legal department, with a focus on commercial contracts and vendor management.
• Proven track record of negotiating complex, high-stakes agreements and legal rate structures.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to influence partner-level outside counsel and senior management.
• Proactively identify potential legal risks in contractual agreements and provide strategic advice to internal business teams to mitigate exposure.

Requirements for Application 

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Candidates are required to submit two recent writing samples personally authored in the last two years.

Current Location

City Hall East, 200 N. Main Street, Los Angeles. 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 two year probationary period as required by Section 1050 of the City Charter. Successful completion of the two-year probationary period will result in tenure with the office.

Classification

For internal applicants only – Placement in this position will initially be as a lateral transfer with the selected candidate assuming the position in their current classification. 

Application and Deadline

Interested candidates should go to: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacityattorney/ to apply online.

Conflict-of-Interest

This position is designated as Category 1 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 THE HUMAN RESOURCES DIVISION AT (213) 978-7160.