Senior Deputy City Attorney (Constitutional Policing Advisor)

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Are you ready to work for a professional, progressive, and compassionate organization that sets the standard for excellence through service, dedication, and commitment to the community? An organization that not only offers an excellent benefits package but one that values employee engagement and development as well? If your answer is yes, the City of Corona is the agency for you!

DEFINITION

Under the direction and supervision of the City Attorney/Legal & Risk Management Director, provides a wide range of professional legal services, assistance and advice to the City Council, the City Manager, all City departments and various boards, committees and commissions; represents the City before the courts of the United States, the courts of California and administrative agencies; enforces the laws and policies of the City of Corona through the courts and the administrative citation process; monitors the work of subordinate attorneys and staff as designated; and performs related work as assigned.

The City Attorney's Office is expected to handle the vast majority of general counsel matters in-house. Accordingly, the Senior Deputy City Attorney (Constitutional Policing Advisor) is expected to be an experienced and accomplished municipal lawyer who is capable of handling numerous complex matters with little direct instruction, oversight and assistance from more senior attorneys. Moreover, all employees within the Legal & Risk Management Department are expected to be able to function independently and without the assistance of clerical, secretarial or other administrative staff.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Receives general direction from City Attorney/Legal & Risk Management Director. Provides direction to, Senior Paralegal/Claims Manager, Paralegal, Workers' Compensation Manager, Risk Management Specialist, Risk Management Technician and Interns.

CLASS CHARACTERISTICS

The Senior Deputy City Attorney (Constitutional Policing Advisor) is supervised and directed by the Assistant City Attorney/Assistant Legal & Risk Management Director and the Chief Deputy City Attorney and exercises technical and functional supervision over subordinate attorneys and staff as designated, though direct supervision and management of all attorneys and staff is the responsibility of the City Attorney/Legal & Risk Management Director.

This is part of the mid-level journey in the Deputy City Attorney series (Deputy City Attorney I and II below and Chief Deputy City Attorney above). An incumbent is distinguished from the Deputy City Attorney II by the amount of experience attained in the performance of assigned duties and responsibilities. In addition to requiring little direct instruction and assistance, the incumbent is assigned more than moderately complex legal work on a wide variety of topics, and functions as a more than moderately experienced practitioner.

Successful performance of the work requires knowledge of the law, public policy, municipal functions and activities, including the role of an elected City Council, and the ability to participate in the development and implementation of policies, projects and programs in a variety of areas.

The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to this position.

Litigation/Adjudicative Action Duties

• Assist with handling litigation matters filed by or against the City.
• Assist with investigating and strategizing litigated matters by and against the City.
• Perform more than moderately complex legal research and prepare written and oral legal briefs and arguments regarding various municipal legal issues.
• Represent the City before the courts of the United States, the courts of California and administrative agencies.
• Prosecute violators of City laws and policies through criminal and civil courts and, in coordination with other departments, through the administrative citation process.
• Provide assistance and advice to the City Council, the City Manager, all City departments and various boards, committees and commissions.
• Assist in coordinating the work of outside legal counsel and consultants.
• Perform related duties as required.

Constitutional Policing Duties

• Provide legal guidance to police department staff on administrative and operational issues.
• Assist Chief of Police and Command Staff in ensuring department procedures and operations comply with legal requirements.
• Provide legal opinions on matters affecting police operations, including, but not limited to, the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights Act, Public Records Act, and Memoranda of Understanding.
• Review and recommend policy revisions on issues related to criminal investigations, law enforcement or evidence disposition.
• Provide updates on changes in law affecting law enforcement.
• Provide training and update police department personnel in legal matters, including new legislation and recent court decisions affecting policing (e.g. use of deadly force, search and seizure law, civil liability, and civil rights).
• Advise police department staff on complex and routine legal matters.
• Assist with labor relations, including reviewing disciplinary and other documentation.

General Counsel Advisory Duties

• Assist with providing legal advice to the City Council, the City Manager, all City departments and various boards, committees and commissions.
• Perform more than moderately complex legal research and prepare written and oral advice on various legal issues for the City Council, the City Manager, all City departments and various boards, committees and commissions.
• Prepare, review and draft ordinances, resolutions, motions, agreements and contracts to be entered into by the City.
• Assist with reviewing exceptions to model agreements/contracts to be made or entered into by the City and approve the form of such instruments.
• Represent the Legal & Risk Management Department at various City Council and board, committee and commission meetings and render legal advice on agenda items as directed.
• Perform other job-related duties as required.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Knowledge of:

City Attorney's Office

• Complex civil litigation and civil trial practice in state and federal courts;
• Legal principles and practices, including civil, criminal, constitutional and administrative law and procedure;
• Judicial procedures and rules of evidence;
• Modern and highly complex principles and practices of municipal law;
• Ordinances, statutes, and court decisions relating to municipal corporations;
• Established precedent and sources of legal reference applicable to municipal activities.
• Methods of legal research and public agency administration;

General

• Organization, duties, powers, limitations, and authority of City government and the Legal & Risk Management Department;
• Public agency budget development, contract administration, City-wide administrative practices, and general principles of risk management related to the functions of the assigned area;
• Organizational and management practices as applied to the analysis and evaluation of projects, programs, policies, procedures, and operational needs; principles and practices of municipal government administration;
• Modern office practices, methods, and computer equipment and applications related to the work;
• English usage, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and punctuation;
• Techniques for effectively representing the City in contacts with governmental agencies, community groups, and various business, professional, educational, regulatory, and legislative organizations;
• Techniques for providing a high level of customer service by effectively dealing with the public, vendors, contractors, and City staff;
• Municipal administrative policies and procedures;
• Municipal financial and budgetary principles, practices and operations; and
• Required computer applications.

• Maintain effective working relations with City officials and the public;
• Research, analyze and apply legal principles;
• Present logically and clearly statements of law and fact;
• Organize, interpret, and apply legal principles and knowledge of complex legal problems; effectively apply legal knowledge and principles in court;
• Present statements of law, fact and argument clearly and logically;
• Prepare and present difficult cases in court;
• Communicate clearly, concisely and effectively, both orally and in writing;
• Conduct research on complex legal problems and prepare sound legal opinions;
• Properly interpret and make decisions in accordance with laws, regulations, and policies; and
• Communicate clearly and concisely, orally and in writing.

Education and Experience:

Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be

Education:

Experience:

Licenses and Certifications:

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