Attorney

Attorney

Los Angeles City Attorney

Responsibilities

• advising departments
• researching law
• conducting hearings

Requirements

• California law license and at least five years of legal experience required. Requires strong legal research

• Writing

• Oral advocacy

• Organization

• Problem-solving

• Prioritization, and teamwork skills

• About the Department

• The Labor Relations Division (LR) advises and represents most of City government, including elected officials, in both employee relations and labor matters. The mission of LR is to advise and assist City elected officials and departments on how best to address employee and union matters in a manner that improves the workplace, complies with applicable laws, and reduces liability for the City. The Division is a high profile, dynamic, confidential working environment requiring excellent verbal and legal research skills and attorneys who thrive in a quick-paced environment. LR counsels and represents over 40 City departments, including the City Attorney’s Office itself, on employee relations and labor matters such as the following.

• Advising on: employee grievances, collective bargaining with employee organizations, the operation of the civil service system, employee equity issues, leaves, wage/hour requirements, employee accountability, reasonable accommodations, responding to public records requests concerning personnel matters, and workplace violence (WV) prevention, among other areas. The work is varied and fast paced, involving team collaboration and active research. One of the primary goals of the Division is to work with departments to reduce or eliminate the filing of new employment or labor related lawsuits and charges against the City. The primary work of the Division consists of handling advisory requests from most of greater City government, with the exception of most LAPD and proprietary departments matters, and proactively advising on labor and employment matters.

• The Division’s resources are also devoted to handling administrative cases brought by employees and their unions, or administrative agencies, such as Cal-OSHA (workplace safety) and the Labor Commissioner’s Office. These in person and virtual hearings require expertise in direct and cross-examination of witnesses before courts and administrative agencies at the state and federal level.

• In addition to providing advice, the Division assists the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) in preparing and presenting cases before a quasi-judicial tribunal known as the Board of Rights (BOR). Duties may include reviewing cases, writing legal briefs, conducting legal research, training, and working closely with LAFD’s Professional Standards Division as they prepare for and present cases to the BORs.

• The Division houses the Office’s Workplace Violence Prevention Unit, which takes WV reports, assists in violence assessments and security concerns, and obtai