DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY – LABOR RELATIONS

MICHAEL N. FEUER

LOS ANGELES CITY ATTORNEY

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT

DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY

LABOR RELATIONS DIVISION

MUNICIPAL LAW BRANCH

SALARY RANGE: $ 87,821 – $206,524

POSITION : Attorney in the Labor Relations Division of the Office of the City Attorney.

SECTION : The Labor Relations Division counsels and represents most of City government in employee relations and labor matters:

• The legal aspects of employee and labor relations in City government

encompasses a vast subject matter consisting of law developed at the federal, state, and local government levels concerning, as notable examples, the discipline of employees, collective bargaining with employee organizations, the operation of civil service and similar systems, equal employment opportunity, wage/hour requirements, and workplace violence (WV) prevention. One of the primary goals of the Division is to proactively work with Departments in order to reduce or eliminate the filing of new employment or labor related lawsuits. The work of the Division consists of handling advisory requests generated in this subject area with respect to most of greater City government, with the exception of most matters involving LAPD and the proprietary departments, and recognizing areas requiring proactive advice.

• The Division’s resources are also devoted to handling administrative cases brought by employees and their unions, or administrative agencies, such as Cal-OSHA. The administrative litigation takes place in hearings within the City and before courts and administrative agencies at the state and federal level.
• The Division houses the Office’s Workplace Violence Prevention Unit, which takes WV reports, assists in violence assessments and security concerns, and obtains restraining orders, as needed, for all City departments and entities, including proprietary departments. The Division also addresses harassment and WV reports out of the City’s 92 Neighborhood Councils.
• These responsibilities commonly bring Division attorneys into contact with high-ranking officials of City government and require interaction with the City Council and the Executive Employee Relations Committee.

DUTIES : The attorney will be assigned to advice, advocacy, training, investigations, writs and workplace violence prevention matters.

Required

QUALIFICATIONS : Applicants for this position must have a license to practice law in all of the courts in the State of California. Additional requirements include:

• Five (5) or more years of legal practice;
• Demonstrated high-level written and oral communication skills; and
• Strong organizational and problem solving skills, the ability to prioritize, and concurrently complete multiple assignments.

Desired Qualifications

• Knowledge of labor and employment law;
• Experience and ability in dealing with governmental agencies and public officials;
• Experiences in resolving and advising on complex and/or sensitive matters;
• Experience with municipal law (including the Ralph M. Brown Act, Fair Employment and Housing Act, California Public Records Act, and Public Employee Relations Board);
• A command of administrative law, such as arbitrations or other hearings – such experience in the area of employment/labor is strongly preferred.
• Whether or not the applicant has had prior litigation experience will be a consideration given the goals of the Division, but is not a prerequisite to application. Primary attention will be directed to the applicant’s overall capabilities as an attorney.
• Essential to the practice in the Division are strengths in legal research and writing, oral advocacy, and the exercise of sound judgment.

WRITING SAMPLE : Candidates are required to submit a recent writing sample, of which they were the primary author.

COVID-19 VACCINE

REQUIREMENT: For candidates seeking initial City employment, in accordance with Los Angeles City Ordinance 187134, information regarding COVID-19 vaccination requirements as conditions of employment may be found at: https://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2021/21-0921_ord_187134_8-24-21.pdf .

PROBATION : Appointment to these exempt positions (non-Civil-Service) will be subject to a two (2) year probationary period as required by Section 1050 of the City Charter. Successful completion of the two (2) year probationary period will result in tenure with the office.

APPLICATION

AND DEADLINE : Attorneys interested in applying should submit a resume, writing sample, and cover letter specifying “ DCA – LABOR RELATIONS” in ONE (1) merged pdf file via email only to [email protected] .

Interested applicants who have applied in the last 12 months should submit an updated resume and cover letter to be considered. Selected applicants who have applied in the last 12 months may be re-interviewed.

Select applicants will be interviewed and, if moved forward, may be asked to provide a brief oral presentation.

Position announcement will remain open until position is filled.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST : This position is designated on Category 15 of the Conflict of Interest Code. Attorneys in the Division are members of the Confidential Attorneys Unit (MOU 31) for purposes of meeting and conferring over the terms and conditions of employment.

A COVERED ENTITY UNDER TITLE II OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF DISABILITY AND, UPON REQUEST, WILL PROVIDE REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION TO ENSURE EQUAL ACCESS TO ITS PROGRAMS, SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES. TO REQUEST A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION, PLEASE CALL (213) 978-7160 .

How to apply

APPLICATION

AND DEADLINE : Attorneys interested in applying should submit a resume, writing sample, and cover letter specifying “ DCA – LABOR RELATIONS” in ONE (1) merged pdf file via email only to [email protected] .

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.

For candidates seeking initial City employment, in accordance with Los Angeles City Ordinance 187134, information regarding COVID-19 vaccination requirements as conditions of employment may be found at: https://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2021/21-0921_ord_187134_8-24-21.pdf .

Closing Date/Time: 7/19/22