City of San Rafael
Job class specification

Job title: Chief Assistant City Attorney

Summary

The Chief Assistant City Attorney has a broad and executive leadership role, managing and directly overseeing the legal staff and department, and handling the most critical legal issues in partnership with the City Manager and part-time elected City Attorney. The Chief Assistant City Attorney provides a complete range of complex legal counsel, advice, and representation to the City Council, the City's Boards and Commissions, the City Manager, Department Directors, and all City staff.

Distinguishing characteristics:

This is the highest level of the Attorney series. This is an at-will, single position class within the City Attorney’s Office and functions as a department head level executive. The Chief Assistant City Attorney is a practicing attorney in one or more key specialty areas and manages the overall operations of the legal department. The position is distinguished from the City Attorney in that the latter is elected by the public and works in a part-time capacity and has overall responsibility for the department and all City legal matters.

The Chief Assistant City Attorney is distinguished from the Assistant City Attorney by the significant level of independence and interaction with the City Manager’s Office and elected officials. The Chief Assistant City Attorney serves as executive partner to City Attorney & City Manager providing strategic legal leadership, directly managing the legal staff and operations, performing specialized & complex legal work in significant legal issues or critical specialty areas and exercising a high degree of independent judgement. The Chief Assistant City Attorney may serve as Acting City Attorney during an absence.

Essential duties and responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

  • Act for the City Attorney in the City Attorney's absence.
  • Plan, direct and perform complex municipal legal work to support the goals and activities of management-level staff, department heads, the City Manager, and appointed and elected officials; conceptualize and research legal problems; prepare opinions; strategize and propose solutions; confer with and advise City officials and employees, departments, advisory bodies, and commissions on legal questions pertaining to their powers, duties, and activities.
  • Proactively identify legal risks and develop strategies to reduce and manage those risks.
  • Manage and administer City litigation; consult and assist assigned counsel in case management; review and approve all billings; confer on settlement decisions; may represent the City and its officers and employees in litigation on occasion, including preparation of pleadings, briefs, motions and other documents; may appear before federal and state courts and administrative agencies.