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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, dedicated, and diverse 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 San Francisco’s residents and visitors.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Office recognizes that diversity in the backgrounds, 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, 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, and where employees feel welcomed, engaged and valued for their work and contributions to the Office and the City.  To learn more about the Office’s efforts to provide a welcoming, diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace please click here.

Current Opportunities

Deputy City Attorney, Public Utilities Team

The San Francisco City Attorney’s Office is looking for an experienced and motivated Deputy City Attorney to join our Public Utilities Team.

The Public Utilities Team provides counsel to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC). The Team is a collaborative and dynamic group of six attorneys and a legal secretary, led by the Utilities General Counsel.

The SFPUC is an enterprise department of the City and County of San Francisco (City) responsible for managing the City’s water, wastewater (sewer), and power systems and assets. SFPUC has an annual operating budget of over $1.7 billion, a capital program of over $8 billion, and a work force of over 2,300 employees.

Attorneys on the Team provide advice and counsel on a myriad of matters related to municipal water, wastewater, and power utility services. Their work includes drafting regulations, legislation, and contracts and representing the City and SFPUC before local, state, and federal legislative and administrative bodies. Based on their expertise and experience, attorneys on the Team may advise on: state and federal environmental regulatory matters, with special focus on the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the California Water and Health and Safety Codes; capital improvement project planning and implementation, including environmental impact review under state and federal law; new development infrastructure planning and implementation; the preparation of non-potable water plans and regulations; development of flood control and floodplain management initiatives and regulations; and the development, adoption, and collection of municipal utility rates, fees, and charges.

If you are interested in the position, more information about the job and application process is available here.

Deputy City Attorney, Trial/Litigation Team

The San Francisco City Attorney’s Office is looking for an experienced and motivated Deputy City Attorney to join our Trial/Litigation Team.

The Trial Team is a collaborative, nimble, and dynamic group of 22 attorneys, 7 paralegals and legal assistants, and 6 legal secretaries. The Team primarily defends lawsuits filed against the City and County of San Francisco and its employees in state and federal court, handling all phases of litigation, from case intake and assessment, litigation strategy, discovery and document review, motion practice, settlement evaluation and negotiation, trial, and appeal. The Team’s docket is broad, and ranges from personal injury accidents to taxation, land use to constitutional torts. The Trial Team represents employees from all City departments and touches every aspect of the City’s operations, from transit to sewer, law enforcement to public health. Trial Team deputies may also handle affirmative matters, including restraining orders based on workplace harassment or the threat of gun violence.  Trial Team members also work on cross-team assignments on an as-needed basis, including helping City departments assess litigation risks, respond to third-party discovery, and respond to crisis situations.

If you are interested in the position, more information about the job and application process is available here.

Legal Secretary, Worker Protection Team

The San Francisco City Attorney’s Office is looking for an experienced and motivated Legal Secretary to join our Worker Protection Team.

The mission of the Worker Protection Team is to protect the rights of workers in San Francisco and California with an emphasis on combatting systemic business practices that exploit marginalized workers. Building on the Office’s longstanding leadership in affirmative litigation, the Worker Protection Team investigates and litigates instances of wage theft, employee misclassification, and other abusive workplace practices. The Worker Protection Team also advises and supports the City’s Office of Labor Standards Enforcement, which enforces more than two dozen local workplace protection ordinances, including ordinances that establish rights to a minimum wage, paid sick leave, paid parental leave, and healthcare benefits.

This is the first legal secretary position on the Worker Protection Team. Under the supervision of the Team Leader, the legal secretary will work with and support all other attorneys, attorney fellows, paralegals, and legal assistants on the team. The duties associated with the position include but are not limited to: preparing and editing a wide variety of legal documents in proper format such as briefs, correspondence, subpoenas, jury instructions, notices, exhibit lists and verdict forms; filing (including E-Filing) documents with State and Federal trial courts and courts of appeal; maintaining attorney calendars and case calendars; creating and maintaining files; answering requests for information from attorneys, opposing counsel, court staff and members of the public; and performing related duties as required.

If you are interested in the position, more information about the job and application process is available here.

Legal Secretary, Labor Team

The San Francisco City Attorney’s Office is looking for an experienced and motivated Legal Secretary to join our Labor Team.

The Labor Team is a collaborative and dynamic group of 17 attorneys, three paralegals, three legal assistants, and six legal secretaries. The Team defends the City in state and federal civil litigation (through trial and appeals) and administrative proceedings involving labor and employment matters and provides proactive advice and risk management strategies to its client departments on all aspects of the City’s labor and employment relationships. The Team advises and represents the City in its on-going relationships with the more than 30 unions that represent City employees, including collective bargaining, labor grievance arbitrations, and defending unfair labor practice and other administrative charges.

If you are interested in the position, more information about the job and application process is available here.

Deputy City Attorney, Port Team (Real Estate)

The San Francisco City Attorney’s Office is looking for an experienced and motivated attorney to join our PortTeam.

The Port Team is a collaborative and dynamic group of six attorneys and one legal secretary.  The Team serves as General Counsel to the Port of San Francisco (Port).  The Port is an enterprise department of the City and County of San Francisco responsible for the operations, maintenance, and management of 7.5 miles of the City’s world-famous eastern waterfront for the benefit of the City, its residents, and the state of California.  The property consists of historic piers, cruise ship and other maritime facilities, museums, a major league ballpark, industrial space, entertainment venues, and two major multi-use development projects which will include retail, residential, PDR, and commercial uses.  The Port’s property portfolio also protects critical infrastructure for the City, region, and state, and requires the Port to continually improve its assets and prepare for sea level rise.  The Port operates within a complex regulatory structure and regularly works with the State Lands Commission and the Bay Conservation and Development Commission, in addition to other City departments.  The Team is located at the Port’s offices at Pier 1 The Embarcadero.

If you are interested in the position, more information about the job and application process is available here.

Business Applications Administrator, Technology Reform Team

The San Francisco City Attorney’s Office is looking for an experienced and motivated Business Applications Administrator to join our Technology Reform Team.

The Technology Reform Team is a small, nimble team that works closely with and provides guidance to the larger Management of Information Systems team. The Team is dedicated to evolving the Office’s technology infrastructure to match the challenges encountered by the modern law office through innovation that balances customer needs against potential risks and rewards. The Team also engages with other teams in the Office to understand their technology needs and help craft solutions for a more effective and satisfied workforce.

If you are interested in the position, more information about the job and application process is available here.

Chief Trial Attorney, Trial/Litigation Team
The San Francisco City Attorney’s Office is looking for an experienced and motivated attorney to lead our Trial/Litigation Team.

The Trial Team is a collaborative, nimble, and dynamic group of 22 attorneys, 7 paralegals and legal assistants, and 6 legal secretaries. The Team primarily defends lawsuits filed against the City and County of San Francisco and its employees in state and federal court, handling all phases of litigation, from case intake and assessment, litigation strategy, discovery and document review, motion practice, settlement evaluation and negotiation, trial, and appeal. The Team’s docket is broad, and ranges from personal injury accidents to taxation, land use to constitutional torts. The Trial Team represents employees from all City departments and touches every aspect of the City’s operations, from transit to sewer, law enforcement to public health. Trial Team deputies may also handle affirmative matters, including restraining orders based on workplace harassment or the threat of gun violence.  Trial Team members also work on cross-team assignments on an as-needed basis, including helping City departments assess litigation risks, respond to third-party discovery, and respond to crisis situations.

The Chief Trial Deputy leads the team, with direct support from a deputy appointed as the Assistant Chief Trial Deputy. Under these leaders, the team has three experienced deputies in lead attorney assignments. These three “Trial Team Leads” oversee sub-teams of approximately six deputies. The lead attorneys help deputies manage their caseloads, assist with case management and strategy, provide feedback, and update the Chief Trial Deputy on team members’ workloads, recurring or significant litigation or performance issues, and legal skill building.

If you are interested in the position, more information about the job and application process is available here.

Applying

Prospective candidates for all city government positions—including the City Attorney’s Office—are encouraged to visit the “Job Seekers” section of the S.F. Department of Human Resources’ website to learn more about employment with the City and County of San Francisco.

The City and the Office are committed to the health and safety of our employees. Under the City’s Vaccination Policy, all City and County of San Francisco employees are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. For details on how this condition applies to your employment, please visit, https://sfdhr.org/sites/default/files/documents/Job-Opportunities/COE-COVID-19-Vaccination-Requirements.pdf.