Deputy City Attorney - Labor Team (Litigation) - City Attorney's Office (8177)

Department: City Attorney Job class: 8177-Attorney (Civil/Criminal) Salary range: $158,548.00 - $277,810.00 Role type: Permanent Exempt What does this mean? Hours: Full-time About: Appointment Type: Permanent Exempt (PEX) position; individuals who are appointed to Exempt Positions are appointed at the pleasure of their appointing officer and are considered to be "at-will." Application Opening: October 9, 2026 Application Deadline: Continuous, earliest close 5:00 p.m. Friday, October 23, 2026 Compensation Range: $158,548-$277,810 Recruitment ID: RTF0157346-01097720 The San Francisco City Attorney’s Office is looking for an experienced and motivated civil litigator to join its Labor Team to represent the City in employment litigation matters in state and federal court and administrative tribunals. About the Office 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 the City and County of San Francisco and its residents. With over 350 talented and dedicated employees, the Office provides exceptional legal services to the City’s Mayor, Board of Supervisors, officials, and departments. Our work empowers City leaders with effective, responsive, and creative legal solutions and representation so they can deliver critical public services, and our affirmative advocacy enhances the lives and wellbeing of San Francisco’s residents and visitors. The Office recognizes that diversity in the backgrounds, identities, and experiences of our employees enriches our workplace and enhances our work. We aspire to recruit, employ, retain, and promote talented individuals representing the full spectrum of our community, and welcome all candidates, including candidates of any race, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, and age, and candidates with disabilities. We have a clear vision: to be the place where a diverse mix of people want to come and stay, grow professionally, and find purpose and engagement, and where all employees feel welcomed and respected, and valued for their work and contributions to the Office and the City. The Office offers a hybrid work schedule for eligible employees. To learn more about the City Attorney's Office, please visit our website. Role description About the Labor Team The Labor Team is a collaborative and dynamic group of 20 attorneys, six paralegals and legal assistants, and six legal secretaries. The Team defends the City in state and federal civil litigation (through trial and appeals), in administrative proceedings involving employment and labor matters, and provides proactive advice and risk management strategies to its client departments on all aspects of the City’s labor and employment relationships. The Team advises and represents the City in its on-going relationships with the more than 30 unions that represent City employees, including collective bargaining, labor grievance arbitrations, and defending unfair labor practice and other administrative charges. Deputy City Attorney Position and Responsibilities For this recruitment, the Office seeks an experienced attorney to represent the City in employment litigation and administrative matters. The attorney will handle all aspects of their cases, including case assessment, litigation strategy, client communication and coordination, conducting and responding to discovery, all motion practice, settlement evaluation and negotiation, trial and appeal. How to qualify Minimum Qualifications Licensed to practice law in California Desired Qualifications Five or more years of civil litigation experience Three or more years of employment litigation experience Ability to handle all phases of litigation, including intake and investigation, written discovery, depositions, motion practice, settlement negotiation, trial, and appeal Ability to manage, investigate, and litigate multiple matters in both state and federal courts and administrative proceedings Experience handling court appearances and oral argument Familiarity with state and federal rules of civil procedure and local rules of court. Experience with e-discovery Demonstrated interest, comfort, and good working knowledge of sophisticated document review tools Ability to work effectively with paralegals, legal assistants, investigators, and other colleagues Ability to assume responsibility quickly, work both independently and collaboratively, and identify and assess substantive and procedural legal issues Ability to work effectively and efficiently, meet multiple competing deadlines, manage workload changes, and dive into new assignments quickly Excellent written and oral communication and advocacy skills Ability to exercise excellent judgment, adapt to changes, and be curious Excellent interpersonal skills and a positive attitude Commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment Interest and ability to work successfully as part of a team Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://sfdhr.org/how-verify-education-requirements. Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco. All work experience, education, training and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included on your application by the filing deadline. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application. Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores. Selection Procedures The selection process will include evaluation of applications in relation to minimum requirements. Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement to the interview. Depending on the number of applicants, the Department may establish and implement additional screening mechanisms to comparatively evaluate the qualifications of candidates. If this becomes necessary, only those applicants whose qualifications most closely meet the needs of the Department will be invited to participate in the oral/performance interview. What else should I know? Salary and Benefits The Deputy City Attorney position has a 16-step salary scale ranging from $158,548 to $277,810. The successful applicant is appointed to a salary step based on years of experience as a lawyer. The City offers robust health, retirement and other benefits. For more information please visit: https://sfdhr.org/benefits-overview. Attorneys are represented by the Municipal Attorneys Association. Information about compensation and benefits is available by entering Classification Code 8177 at https://careers.sf.gov/classifications/.