Civil Service Attorney Jobs (NOW HIRING)

About Us
The Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney is one of the nation's largest municipal law offices. With over 1,000 legal professionals, including 500 attorneys, the Office provides the City of Los Angeles ("City") with the highest caliber of legal services, ranging from prosecuting criminal misdemeanors and playing a leading role in criminal justice reform to advising on homelessness initiatives, defending civil lawsuits and claims, and bringing civil enforcement actions in the name of the People of the State of California.
Guided by an overarching commitment to integrity, service and accountability, we find great meaning in the work we do and the services we provide. We seek collaborative team players who understand that fulfilling our mission is key to making a positive impact.
Description
Ethics and Election Team attorneys work closely together. The Ethics attorney position will assist in serving as counsel to the Ethics Commission, working with attorneys in the Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney advising departments and offices, directly advising other officials on questions of ethics, conflicts, and proper use of public resources. The team also advises the City Clerk and other officials on election matters including ballot measures as well as governance issues.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Ethics Attorney will be responsible for:
• Written and oral advice on conflicts of interest and governmental ethics to City Attorney colleagues, advising Departments, and to public officials directly.
• Legal advice to the City Ethics Commission and coordinating with the Ethics Commission staff on related advice.
• Legal advice on campaign finance reform proposals, the regulation of lobbyists, use of public funds, the interpretation of the City Charter and other issues.
• Assist on other matters such as the conduct of elections and other related duties as assigned.
Requirements
Applicants for this position must have a valid license to practice law in all of the courts within the State of California. Additional requirements include:
• At least five (5) years of legal experience, as well as demonstrated skills in legal research and writing;
• Strong analytical and reasoning abilities.
• Strong oral communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively and professionally with colleagues and public officials.
• Discretion in handling sensitive matters.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment.
Desired Qualifications
• Familiarity with City Governance and City Charter and related laws including Brown Act and Public Records laws.
• Familiarity with City Ethics, campaign finance, and lobbying laws.
• Familiarity with State ethics laws and regulations, Government Codes Section 1090 and the Political Reform Act.
• Experience researching and advising on governmental ethics and conflicts of interest.
How to apply
Requirements for Application
• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Candidates are required to submit two recent writing samples personally authored in the last two years.
Application and Deadline
Interested candidates should go to: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacityattorney/ to apply online.
Conflict-of-Interest
This position is designated as Category 1 on the Conflict-of-Interest Code.
Contact
Questions? Please email atty.recruit@lacity.org.
exempt employment
If employment is said to be exempt, it is meant that the employment is exempted from the civil service provisions of the City Charter. In order to receive a regular civil service appointment, employees must have successfully participated in a civil service examination, received a high enough score on the examination to be placed on and receive an appointment from an eligible list, and they must serve a probationary period. Exempt employees do not compete in a civil service examination, they are not placed on an eligible list and receive an appointment from that list, nor do they serve a probationary period. As a result, exempt employees do not have what is referred to as a "property interest" in their job. Exempt employees serve at the will of the appointing authority and can be terminated at any time without cause. Employees with a property interest in their job, i.e. civil service employees, cannot be deprived of their employment(discharged or suspended) without due process.
General Information About Exempt Employment
Exempt employees serve at the will of the appointing authority, and as such, they may be discharged, suspended or otherwise disciplined without cause. Exempt employees have no property interest in their employment, and any procedural benefit or other prerogative extended to them by their appointing authority is not intended to create and does not create any such property interest. No officer or employee of the City may make to any other officer or employee any representation of a property interest in employment which does not correspond to Charter provisions unless the City Council, by ordinance, permits such representation. No unauthorized representation can serve as the basis of an employee's reliance on, or expectation of, a property interest.
Employees Seeking To Become Civil Service Employees
There is no protective leave for an exempt employee appointed to a civil service position. Upon receiving a civil service appointment and passing probation, the former exempt employee will be subject to the Civil Service provisions described in Article X of the City Charter. Upon appointment, the civil service employee will begin to accrue displacement and layoff seniority on the first day of his/her civil service appointment and may file for promotional examinations for which s/he qualifies. A full or half-time exempt employee appointed to a full or half-time civil service position continues to: contribute to the Retirement System; accrue vacation time; accrue sick time; receive anniversary date salary increases; and, receive health and dental benefits identical to those received in the civil service position.