Job Description

The City of Carlsbad has an immediate opening for a municipal law attorney with experience in CEQA, land use, and housing matters for the position of Assistant City Attorney. The Assistant City Attorney will report to the City Attorney who is appointed by the City Council. The Assistant City Attorney will perform a broad range of legal research and writing and deliver factually and legally supported advice and opinions to staff in all city departments. This position will primarily focus on advising the Housing Department on housing matters and the Community Development Department, which includes the Building, Planning, and Land Development Engineering divisions, on CEQA and land use matters. The attorney in this position will also be the legal advisor to the Planning Commission and will attend all Planning Commission meetings in that capacity. Job Summary: An Assistant City Attorney performs a wide range of professional legal services and provides legal advice to assigned city departments and programs; performs legal research and renders opinions; drafts ordinances, resolutions, contracts, and other legal documents; and may serve as an independent advisor to city advisory boards. Incumbents are expected to exercise a high degree of professional independence and legal judgment in areas of municipal law such as land use, environmental, civil rights, contract preparation and negotiation, public works projects, municipal real estate transactions, municipal finance, public transparency, ethics, and conflict of interest laws related to public officials. The ideal candidate will have three or more years of municipal law advisory experience (seven or more years of experience preferred), including at least two to three years of experience advising staff and decision-making bodies on CEQA and land use issues. A strong working knowledge of public transparency compliance, including open meetings, public records and public agency conflicts of interest and ethics compliance are required. The ideal candidate works well with others, excels in building internal relationships, and is dedicated, self-motivated, and able to work independently and with diverse individuals and groups. Assignments will depend on the needs of the office as determined by the City Attorney and may include providing legal services to elected and appointed officials as well as to multiple city departments. Relevant experience may also include representing public agency clients in court proceedings and administrative hearings. Application Process: Please submit a cover letter, resume and writing sample as separate attachments. Knowledge of: Federal, state and local government law. Principles and procedures of municipal law and the ability to apply this knowledge, method and practice in order to achieve the City Council's goals and objectives and to implement its policies, procedures and programs in a lawful manner. Judicial procedures and rules of evidence related to civil, criminal, and administrative proceedings. Municipal government structure and operations and relationships with other public jurisdictions. Local agency ethics, public transparency, and public records requirements and practices. Principles and requirements of professional responsibility, including organizational client representation, privilege, work product and confidentiality. Legal issues and practices related to municipal government functions. Methods of legal research, including online research. Ability to: Review a wide variety of documents and identify and resolve legal issues. Prepare legal documents including contracts, ordinances, resolutions, and memoranda. Critically analyze and provide legally supportable alternatives for resolution of routine and complex legal matters related to the programs, policies and operations of the city. Provide professional customer service to city legislative and advisory bodies, elected and appointed officials and city staff. Present statements of law, fact, and argument clearly and logically. Properly interpret and make recommendations in accordance with laws, regulations, and policies. Represent the city in litigation and administrative proceedings. Analyze legal problems, conduct research, identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions, and make recommendations. Exercise sound judgment, flexibility, creativity, and sensitivity in response to changing situations and needs. Communicate clearly and concisely, orally and in writing. Work well under pressure to meet deadlines. Establish and maintain effective working relationships with other employees in the City Attorney’s Office, public officials, members of other departments and agencies, the general public, and others contacted in the course of work. Work with diverse populations and maintain an inclusive environment. Serve as Acting City Attorney as assigned.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

A member of the California Bar and qualified to practice law before all of the courts of this state and all federal courts as necessary including the United States Supreme Court. #J-18808-Ljbffr City of Carlsbad

Job Tags

Contract work, Local area, Immediate start,

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