City Attorney at City of Antioch, CA

About the Department

The City of Antioch is seeking an experienced and dynamic City Attorney who combines strong legal expertise with proven leadership in managing and mentoring a municipal law office. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated success in leading a team of attorneys and staff, fostering a collaborative and supportive environment while serving as a mentor who develops future leaders within the office. 

The City seeks a municipal law generalist with broad and deep experience across the spectrum of public law, including governance, land use, labor, and litigation. Candidates must bring not only expertise but also the energy and commitment to remain engaged with the City for the long term. The City is seeking someone that is a legal leader who will grow with Antioch and help guide the community into the future. 

A strong grasp of the distinction between charter cities and general law cities is essential, with hands-on experience in general law city governance considered highly valuable. The ideal candidate will understand the importance of the City Attorney’s role as a trusted legal advisor to the City Council, providing clear, objective counsel while respecting the boundaries of the position and refraining from acting as a “sixth councilmember.” This individual will bring a commitment to delivering impartial, solutions-oriented legal guidance that supports sound, legally compliant decision-making free from political influence. The next City Attorney will be a visible, engaged, and trusted leader who brings stability, builds confidence among elected officials, and ensures that the office provides the highest quality of legal service to the City Council, staff, and community. To learn more about the City Attorney position we invite you to review the City Attorney brochure.

To apply for this exciting career opportunity, please send a compelling cover letter and your detailed resume electronically to: [email protected]. Should you have any questions regarding this position or the recruitment process, please contact Joe Gorton at (707) 628-6846.

Application materials will be screened in relation to the criteria described in this brochure. Candidates deemed to be the most highly qualified will be invited to participate in the selection process. The selection process will include phone interviews with the most qualified candidates, panel interviews, and final interviews with the City Council. Appointment is subject to completion of thorough background and reference checks.

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION
Under administrative direction from the City Council, provides overall and general legal advice, counsel and assistance to the City Council, Boards and Commissions, and City Staff; reviews contracts and other documents requiring legal review; represents the City in court and administrative proceedings. Also acts as general counsel to the City as Successor to the Redevelopment Agency. Acts as a key member of the City's management team.

Position Duties

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES
The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed duties and/or may be required to perform additional or different duties from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices.

1. Advise the City Council and senior staff on a wide variety of legal matters pertaining to City business including drafting legal opinions, making presentations or responding to general legal-related questions during Council meetings.
2. Plan, organize, direct and coordinate the activities of the City Attorney's office to ensure proper "follow through" on all items of legal import.
3. Assist in developing and implementing goals, objectives policies and priorities of the City Council.
4. Develop and implement various systems and procedures to meet departmental goals, objectives and priorities.
5. Draft and review a wide variety of documents including ordinances, resolutions, contracts, leases.
6. Review similar documents prepared by other City staff or outside contract attorneys.
7. Represent the City in court and administrative proceedings including consulting with and reviewing the performance of assigned counsel.
8. Respond to staff and citizen inquiries and issue legal opinions.
9. Select, supervise, and evaluate assigned staff.
10. Attend City Council, Planning Commission and Board of Administrative Appeals meetings regularly and others as needed.
11. Review all claims against the City, coordinate with the City's joint risk pool and oversee claims administration and litigation involving the City.
12. Perform related duties as directed by the City Council.

Minimum Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS 
The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period of time in order to successfully perform the assigned duties.

Knowledge of:

• Legal principles and their application.
• Principles of California municipal and redevelopment law and their application.
• Legal research methods.
• Principles of administrative and constitutional law.
• The Antioch Municipal Code.

Ability to:

• Apply legal principles and precedents to a particular set of facts.
• Analyze difficult and complex legal issues.
• Present statements of fact, laws and argument clearly and logically both orally and in writing.

Education/Training:

1. Graduation from an accredited law school.

And

Experience:

1. Five years of experience in a wide variety of contract and tort law with at least three years experience in a municipal law department.

License/Certification:

1. Active membership in the California State Bar.
2. Possession of a valid California State Driver's License.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT
The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

Environment: Work is performed primarily in a standard office setting, with some travel to different sites; incumbents will be required to work extended hours including evenings and weekends, and may be required to travel outside City boundaries to attend meetings.

Physical: Primary functions require sufficient physical ability and mobility to work in an office setting; to stand or sit for prolonged periods of time; to occasionally stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, reach, and twist; to lift, carry, push, and/or pull light to moderate amounts of weight; to operate office equipment requiring repetitive hand movement and fine coordination including use of a computer keyboard; and to verbally communicate to exchange information.

Other Qualifications

EEO/ADA: The City of Antioch is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant employer, committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants.

If you have a disability and require accommodations in the testing process, please contact Human Resources at 925-779-7020 or [email protected] prior to the final filing date.

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