City of San Rafael

Job Class Specification

Job Title: Assistant City Attorney

SUMMARY

The Assistant City Attorney focuses on delivering the City’s legal operations and providing direct legal support to city departments and city staff. The Assistant City Attorney oversees the legal department and works closely with the elected City Attorney.

The Assistant City Attorney provides a complete range of 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 second highest level of the Attorney series. This is an at-will, single position class within the City Attorney’s Office and functions as an assistant department head level executive. The Assistant City Attorney is a practicing attorney in one or more key specialty areas and manages the overall operations of the legal department.

The Assistant City Attorney is distinguished from the Chief Assistant City Attorney by the latter holding significant level of independence and interaction with the City Manager’s Office and elected officials. The Assistant City Attorney focuses on delivering the City’s legal operations and providing direct legal support to city departments and city staff. The Assistant City Attorney will oversee the legal department and work closely with the City Attorney. The Assistant City Attorney may serve as Acting City Attorney during an absence.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

  • Acts 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.
  • Supervise 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.
  • Negotiate and draft and/or approve complicated and routine ordinances, resolutions, contracts, deeds, leases, and other legal documents and instruments.