Description

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.

Our Office is actively recruiting highly qualified attorneys for several positions across our various divisions including:

• Assistant City Attorney, Civil Litigation Division
• Deputy City Attorney, General Litigation Unit
• Deputy City Attorney, Land Use, Writs, and Appeals
• Deputy City Attorney, Housing Protection Unit
• Deputy City Attorney, Public Services Unit 

Work for one of the largest high-profile, full-service public interest law offices in San Diego! Our civil litigators prosecute or defend civil lawsuits in which the City is a party, while our advisory attorneys provide advice to the City of San Diego and each of its departments, including City Council and the Mayor’s Office.

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. 

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.

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.

Requirements

To be considered for our positions, 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. 

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. 

To learn more about individual position minimum requirements and to apply, please visit the San Diego City Attorney’s Office Career Page.