Closing Date: 23rd August, 2026

Description:

Job Information:
See NOTES below for future wage increases and/or additional compensation opportunities.

The San Diego City Attorney's Office protects the people of San Diego by serving as chief legal counsel to the City of San Diego's elected officials and operational departments; prosecuting and defending civil cases involving the City; and as the City's prosecutor on behalf of the People of the State of California, by holding accountable those who commit crimes against the public health and safety and violate other local and state laws. Our municipal law firm employs over 190 lawyers and approximately 230 support staff, dedicated to providing legal services to the City of San Diego.

The Civil Advisory Division of the San Diego City Attorney's Office is recruiting to fill a Deputy City Attorney position in the Public Services Unit. This position reports directly to Chief Deputy City Attorney Steven Lastomirsky.

The Public Services Unit advises the Parks and Recreation Department, Purchasing and Contracting Department, Library, Office of Child and Youth Success, Performance and Analytics Department, Fleet Division, Department of Information Technology, and advises the City on Maintenance Assessment Districts and Business Improvement Districts. This Unit provides legal advice in areas such as City policies, procedures and administrative regulations, permitting for the use of parks and recreation centers, competitive bidding, contract claims, debarment, living wages, equal opportunity contracting, intellectual property, grants, and constitutional laws. Deputy City Attorneys in this Unit routinely draft contracts, resolutions, and ordinances, and prepare legal correspondence, memoranda, and opinions, and appear at City Council Committee and City Council meetings. The selected deputy will be assigned to primarily advise on issues ofstatutoryandconstitutionallaw, regulatory compliance, Municipal Code amendments, public records requests, contracting and procurement, grant funding, and assisting the Parks and Recreation Department staff with drafting Special Use Permits and Right of Entry Permits, and other duties as assigned.

Example of Duties:
Deputies in the Civil Advisory Division routinely:

Draft contracts, resolutions, and ordinances;
Review department policies, procedures, Council Policies, and City administrative regulations;
Conduct legal research and analysis;
Prepare legal correspondence, memoranda, and opinions;
Work closely with City staff on programs and specific projects;
Advise on responses to California Public Records Act requests;
Work with litigation counsel on certain matters;
Appear and address legal questions at City Council Committee and City Council meetings, and may appear at board and commission hearings and administrative hearings.

Deputy City Attorneys must become familiar with City operations to identify and address legal issues in a proactive manner, and continually manage and adjust their workload to accommodate changing needs and priorities of City staff. The deputy is expected to work closely with City staff and City management.

Minimum Requirements:
Applicants are required to:

Be an active member in good standing with the State Bar of California;
Minimum three years of municipal law or other public law experience;
Possess strong analytical, research, writing, and oral presentation skills; be a practical problem-solver and team player; have good time management skills; and demonstrate effective communication and conflict resolution skills.

Ideal candidates will have legal experience and the knowledge or skills described below:

Experience working in team and self-paced settings with ability to manage and prioritize a heavy workload;
Experience working on Special Use Permits and Right of Entry Permits;
Experience with Administrative Hearings;
Competitive bidding and other City procurement requirements;
Grant applications, acceptance and compliance;
Experience advising municipal governments or state government entities on parks and recreation related legal issues;
Familiarity with the California Public Records Act.

Attorneys in this position must be able to travel to locations outside the office for legal proceedings or meetings. Therefore, possession of a valid California Class C driver's license and personal vehicle, or the ability to travel to various locations throughout the City in a timely manner, is required.

Supplemental Information:
Notes:

The following wage increases are scheduled to effect for Deputy City Attorneys:

A 3.5% general wage increase will be effective July 1, 2027.
A 2% general wage increase will be effective July 1, 2028.
A 2% general wage increase will be effective January 1, 2029.

Work-life balance is important to us! The City Attorney's Office generally supports remote teleworking and the position may allow for a hybrid schedule with a mix of in-office and remote work after the introductory and probationary period. Please refer to the Office's teleworking policy.

Compensation and Benefits: The successful candidate's annual salary is based on the Deputy City Attorney salary table and dependent on qualifications and level of relevant legal experience. For further salary information, refer to the Deputy City Attorney Salary Table (https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/dca-salary-table.pdf) (Download PDF reader). (https://get.adobe.com/reader/)

In addition to a competitive salary, the City of San Diego offers a comprehensive benefits package including:

Participation in the City's Flexible Benefits Plan, which offers several optional benefit plans or a taxable cash option.
$50,000 in City-paid life insurance.
Flexible Spending Accounts.
Paid annual leave (paid time off) accruing at 22 days per year for the 1st through 15th year of service.
San Diego City Employees' Retirement System (SDCERS) defined benefit (pension) plan.
Voluntary Defined Contribution Plans (401(k)/457(b)).
Retiree Medical Trust Plan.
Holidays – Eleven paid holidays are provided annually and one Floating Holiday in a fiscal year.
Long-Term Disability Income Plan.
Eleven paid holidays annually and one floating holiday (paid time off) each fiscal year.

Other Miscellaneous Benefits:

Free MTS transit pass.
City-awarded discretionary leave (paid time off).
Up to 8 weeks of paid Parental Leave.
Paid time off for jury duty.
Up to 40 hours of paid Bereavement Leave each fiscal year.
Employee Assistance Program.

To learn more about all the employee benefits, please review the Benefits Summary for DCAA Employees (Download PDF reader). Some benefits currently offered to employees may be modified in the future.

For further information, please contact the Risk Management Department at (619) 236-6600. Retirement benefits for this unclassified position depend on the candidate's eligible status (new hire, rehire, etc.).

Pre-Employment Requirements:
Employment offers are conditional pending the results of all screening processes that are applicable to this job, which may include but are not limited to the following:

Proof of citizenship or legal right to work in the United States.
Reference checks.
Fingerprint checks: fingerprints will be submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice for a conviction record report.
Additional screening processes such as a background investigation.

All these processes must be successfully completed before employment begins. Misrepresentation, falsification, or omission of pertinent facts in any step of the screening or selection process may be cause for disqualification or termination of employment. The City of San Diego is committed to a drug and alcohol-free workplace.

How to Apply:
The San Diego City Attorney's Office accepts online applications. To apply, select the position title of the job opportunity and click the "Apply" link. If you need assistance, please refer to our online employment application guide:

To be considered for this position, applicants will need to submit the following by the closing date:
San Diego City Attorney employment application, including supplemental questions.
Cover letter and resume.
A writing sample (no more than 5 pages; can be an excerpt of a document) that demonstrates their legal writing skills and reflects their own original work product.