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 San Francisco residents. With over 180 talented, dedicated, and diverse attorneys and strong, committed support staff, the Office provides the highest quality legal services to the City’s Mayor, Board of Supervisors, officials, and departments.

The City Attorney’s Office is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a positive, respectful, diverse, and inclusive work environment. The Office welcomes and encourages qualified applicants of all backgrounds.

Position Summary:

The Complex Team is a collaborative, nimble, and dynamic group of attorneys, paralegals, and legal secretaries. The Team handles both affirmative and defensive matters, in state and federal court, in trial and on appeal. The Team’s docket is extraordinarily broad, and generally involves at least one or more of the following: novel legal issues, constitutional concerns, statewide and/or nationwide remedies and public policy reforms, or a large volume of litigants, witnesses, and/or evidence. In addition to representing the City and County of San Francisco, the Complex Team uses the unique powers vested in our office by California’s Unfair Competition Law to bring affirmative litigation on behalf of the People of the State of California to remedy unlawful, fraudulent, and unfair business practices throughout the state. The Complex Team also brings lawsuits on behalf of the People of the State of California to remedy public nuisances. The Complex Team also participates in the San Francisco Affirmative Litigation Project, a partnership between the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office and Yale Law School which pairs Yale law students with lawyers across the office who are developing and/or litigating complex affirmative litigation matters.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Attorneys on the Complex Team are assigned both affirmative and defensive matters, including tax matters and complex contract disputes. The vast majority of matters require team members to work collaboratively with other lawyers and staff across the Office. DCAs handle all aspects of their cases, including case development and assessment, litigation strategy, discovery and document review, motion practice, settlement evaluation and negotiation, trial and appeal.

Qualifications and Prior Experience:

• Ability to assume responsibility quickly, work both collaboratively and independently, and think deeply and thoroughly about novel substantive and procedural legal issues
• Work effectively and efficiently within often ambitious internal deadlines, being able to adjust to last minute assignments and workload increases with agility
• Excellent written and oral communication and advocacy skills
• Ability to identify, investigate, and litigate large affirmative cases as well as vigorously defend complex defensive matters in both state and federal courts
• Work effectively with paralegals, legal assistantsand support staff
• Experience with e-discovery
• Exhibit an interest, comfort, and good working knowledge of sophisticated document review tools
• Ability to exercise excellent judgment, multi-task, and be curious
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a positive attitude
• Interest and ability to work successfully as part of a team
• Five or more years of civil litigation experience, including trial experience

Other information: Attorneys are represented by the Municipal Attorneys Association: 8177 Attorney – Classification & Compensation may be found at: https://sfdhr.org/classification-compensation-database

How to Apply:

If you are interested, please submit your resume and cover letter to [email protected] and specify that you are applying for the Complex and Affirmative Litigation Team position. Your cover letter should indicate, in detail, the breadth and depth of your litigation experience. Applicants who advance in the selection process must submit a writing sample and three references.