The San Francisco City Attorney’s Office is looking for a qualified and motivated attorney to join its Code Enforcement Team. 

About the Office: The San Francisco City Attorney’s Office is an innovative, nationally-recognized municipal law office working to protect and advance the rights and interests of the City and County of San Francisco and its residents.  With just over 300 talented and dedicated employees, the Office provides exceptional legal services to the City’s Mayor, Board of Supervisors, officials, and departments.  Our work empowers City leaders with effective, responsive, and creative legal solutions and representation so they can deliver critical public services, and our affirmative advocacy enhances the lives and wellbeing of the San Francisco’s residents and visitors.

The Office recognizes that diversity in the backgrounds, identities, ideas, and lived experiences of our employees enriches our workplace and enhances our work.  We aspire to recruit, employ, retain, and promote capable individuals representing the full spectrum of our community, and welcome all candidates, including candidates of any race, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, and age, and candidates with disabilities.  We have a clear vision: to be the place where a diverse mix of talented people want to come and stay, grow professionally, and build a career, and where employees feel welcomed and respected for their full authentic selves, engaged, and valued for their work and contributions to the Office and the City.

To learn more about the City Attorney’s Office please visit: https://www.sfcityattorney.org/

To learn more about the Office’s efforts to provide a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace where employees feel they belong and can meaningfully contribute, please click here.

About the Code Enforcement Team: The Team is a collaborative and dynamic group of eight attorneys, one paralegal, and two legal secretaries. The Team, in cooperation with other City agencies, investigates and civilly prosecutes property owners and businesses that violate building, housing, planning, health, or other local and state codes, or who are otherwise misusing their property to endanger public health and safety. Representative lawsuits have addressed unpermitted construction, substandard housing, blight, health hazards, sex trafficking, illegal short-term rentals, zoning violations, and affordable housing requirements.

Deputy City Attorney Position and Responsibilities

Attorneys on the Team use the legal tools under state and local laws to address public nuisance issues and other unlawful conduct in the City, working with Office investigators, the community, and other government agencies. Each attorney is assigned one or more districts of the City, where the attorney has primary responsibility for monitoring and abating public nuisance issues. Attorneys promote communication across City departments and with outside agencies to ensure a coordinated response to illegal conduct. During investigations, attorneys analyze potentially applicable regulations and advise City departments about Fourth Amendment law as well as the use of warrants, subpoenas, and emergency orders. Attorneys manage cases from pre-litigation investigation and demands, through civil case filing, settlement evaluation, discovery, trial, and appeal. The Office may staff larger enforcement cases with multiple attorneys.

Minimum Qualifications

• Licensed to practice law in California.

Desired Qualifications

• Excellent oral and written communication and advocacy skills.
• Ability to manage and appropriately balance an active caseload of investigative and  litigation matters, meet deadlines, and adjust to occasional workload increases.
• Excellent judgment, ethics, and commitment to public service.
• Strong interpersonal skills and a problem-solving attitude.
• Commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment.
• Five or more years of litigation experience, ideally including case development and trial.
• Ability to assume responsibility quickly and work independently and efficiently.

Salary and Benefits

The Deputy City Attorney position has a 16-step salary scale ranging from $131,794 - $230,880, with a cost of living adjustment due July 1, 2022.  The successful applicant is appointed to a salary step based on years of experience as a lawyer.  The City offers robust health, retirement, and other benefits.  For more information please visit: https://sfdhr.org/benefits-overview.  Attorneys are represented by the Municipal Attorneys Association.  Information about compensation and benefits can be found here:  8177 Attorney - Classification & Compensation

COVID-19 Vaccination Required as a Condition of Employment

The City and the Office are committed to the health and safety of our employees.  Under the City’s Vaccination Policy, all City employees are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment and must provide proof of fully-vaccinated status to be appointed. 

Application

To apply for this position, please submit a resume and cover letter to https://smrtr.io/8_PVS by May 31, 2022.  Applicants who advance in the selection process must submit at least two references and at least one writing sample, preferably a brief that was filed in a court or administrative proceeding.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:  All City and County of San Francisco employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Someone is fully vaccinated when 14 days have passed since they received the final dose of a two-shot vaccine or a dose of a one-shot vaccine. Any new hire must present proof of full vaccination status to be appointed. Any new hire who will be routinely assigned or occasionally enter High-Risk Settings, must provide proof of having received a COVID-19 booster vaccine by March 1, 2022, or once eligible.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.