DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY II OR IIIGENERAL GOVERNMENT & FINANCE - City of Oakland
Salary Range: Deputy City Attorney II: $143,608.08 to $176,337.84
Deputy City Attorney III: $158,334 to $194,411 annually
Benefits: Health, dental, vision, pension, telecommuting opportunities, professional
development allowance and other competitive benefits
THE POSITION
The Office of the City Attorney seeks an attorney to help the City of Oakland maintain and
improve its infrastructure and preserve a clean, safe environment that all Oaklanders can use and
enjoy. The incumbent, with the rest of our General Government & Finance Team, will work
closely with various City leaders, departments, and bodies, including the Department of Finance,
City Administrator and City Council, on a wide range of municipal government and finance
matters.
Duties may include, but will not be limited to, providing legal advice and review related
to: municipal finance, revenue, bonds, taxation, fees, formation of special assessment and other
districts, ballot measures, ethics and conflict of interest, public records, open meetings laws, and
parliamentary procedure. An interest in these areas of law is a must, and experience is a plus.
About the Office
The City Attorney’s Office provides advice and counsel to the Mayor, City Council, and
all City departments, boards and commissions in a wide variety of areas spanning the range of
municipal law, including but not limited to, land use, real estate, personnel, elections, conflicts of
interest, municipal finance, retirement, housing, public contracting and economic development.
The City Attorney’s Office also advocates for the City’s interests in claims and lawsuits litigated
in state or federal court, including high-value personal injury cases, complex civil rights actions,
breach of contract, personnel disputes, eminent domain actions, inverse condemnation and alleged
Constitutional violations.
The Office has approximately 82 employees and two legal divisions: the Advisory and
Litigation Divisions. The Advisory Division includes the Land Use & Planning, Real Estate,
General Government & Finance, Labor & Employment, and Code Enforcement units. The
Litigation Division includes the General & Complex Litigation (Defense), Law & Motion/Writs
& Appeals units; and the Community Lawyering and Civil Rights, Neighborhood Law Corps and
CITY OF OAKLAND
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY II OR III
GENERAL GOVERNMENT & FINANCE
Open: March 29, 2024
Deadline to Apply: Open until filled
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Housing Justice Initiative affirmative litigation units. The work is high profile, dynamic,
collaborative, and complex. And the work is of vital importance to the City’s realization of its
progressive and cutting-edge policies and programs, and to the City’s delivery of services to
Oakland’s residents and businesses
Job Duties
Duties may include but are not limited to:
• Providing advice and legal opinions on general government matters such as municipal
finance, taxes and fees, formation of special assessment and other districts, public ethics
and conflict of interest, ballot measures, public contracting, grant agreements, open
meetings, public records laws, constitutional law and parliamentary procedure to the City
Administrator, Director of Finance and other City executives, the Mayor, City Council and
City departments, boards and commissions.
• Preparing legal opinions, ordinances, resolutions, and other legal documents.
• Advising the City Administrator, department heads, elected officials, and boards and
commissions on general government matters related to public ethics, conflicts of interest,
and public records.
• Representing the City Attorney at meetings of the City Council, City Council committees
and other public meetings, and providing advice on parliamentary procedure, the Brown
Act and local Sunshine laws.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICATION
Any combination of experience and education that likely would provide the required
knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:
Experience:
• For DCA II position: Two years of increasingly responsible work experience in one or
more relevant areas of law.
• For DCA III position: Two years of increasingly responsible work experience in one or
more relevant areas of law comparable to a Deputy City Attorney II position in the City of
Oakland.
• The ideal candidate will have a strong interest in one or more of the following: municipal
finance, taxes, budgets, master fee schedules, election measures, special assessment
districts, and/or public contracting including federal and state-funded contracts and grant
agreements.
• Experience in municipal bond and finance law, open meetings laws, public records,
information technology contracts, and/or parliamentary procedure is a plus.
• Candidates must have excellent writing and oral presentation skills.
Education:
• Law school graduate.
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License or Certificate:
• A member in good standing of the California State Bar.
• Selected individuals will be required to maintain a valid California Driver’s License during
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 be an
efficient method for traveling to required locations.
Additional Desirable Skills:
• Working knowledge of municipal, state and federal laws affecting City governance.
• Language skills, especially in Spanish, Cantonese and/or Mandarin.
Ability to:
• Interpret and apply various government codes and ordinances.
• Conduct research on legal problems and prepare sound legal opinions.
• Analyze and prepare a wide variety of legal documents.
• Handle stressful and sensitive situations with tact and diplomacy, including across lines of
difference and throughout the spectrum of diversity.
• Provide professional leadership, guidance and technical expertise to assigned staff.
• Work independently or as part of a team.
• Bring compassion, creativity, and clarity to challenging legal issues related to poverty and
racial justice.
• Communicate effectively in both oral and written form with City officials, representatives
of outside agencies and the public, and in litigation.
• Complete varied assignments within a narrow time frame.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients and other contacts in
the course of work.
• Inspire confidence and respect for legal advice.
• Skillfully and professionally present legal advice to clients, including the elected and high-
level appointed officials.
HOW TO APPLY
Submit a cover letter and resume by email to: jobs@oaklandcityattorney.org
Candidates selected to proceed in the hiring process will be asked to submit additional
information (e.g., a writing sample, references, answers to supplemental questions, and a
formal City of Oakland employment application).
The City of Oakland is an Equal Opportunity / ADA employer
