Municipal Law Division Chief

Overview

The Municipal Law Division Chief serves as the primary legal advisor to the municipality, including elected officials, City Manager, administrative departments, and boards. This role ensures that all municipal actions are legally sound and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The Municipal Law Division Chief also represents the municipality in legal proceedings and manages legal affairs of the City. The Municipal Law Division Chief coordinates matters with the Special Legal Counsel.

An incumbent of this class is a department head under the administrative direction of the Mayor and City Council, with responsibility for policy development, program planning, fiscal management, administration, and operational direction of the Legal/Law Division/Department. The incumbent is responsible for accomplishing department objectives and goals within guidelines established by the Mayor and City Council, and exercises supervision over subordinate professional, technical and support personnel.

The following essential functions are those that are critical, integral, necessary, crucial, primary and fundamental to the job. Incumbents who possess the requisite skill, experience, education, and other job-related requirements of a position are expected to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.

The following duties ARE NOT intended to serve as a comprehensive list of all duties performed by all employees in this classification, only a representative summary of the primary duties and responsibilities. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties listed and may be required to perform additional, position-specific duties.

• Lead and oversee all legal aspects of municipal governance with accountability to the Mayor and City Council.
• Provide legal advice and interpretation of laws, statutes, regulations, and ordinances to elected officials, city departments, boards, and commissions.
• Draft, review, and approve complex contracts, ordinances, resolutions, policies, and other legal documents involving high-value or high-risk municipal interests.
• Represent the municipality in high-stakes civil litigation, administrative hearings, and negotiations; manage and evaluate performance of outside counsel.
• Ensure strict legal compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws across all municipal operations, including emerging regulatory areas.
• Advise on advanced legal issues including constitutional law, municipal finance, labor and employment law, land use and zoning, and risk management.
• Attend and provide strategic counsel at city council meetings, committee sessions, closed sessions, and public hearings.
• Monitor, interpret, and recommend responses to proposed legislation and evolving legal standards affecting municipal operations.
• Develop, manage, and forecast the Legal Department/Division budget; ensure alignment with organizational goals and financial constraints.
• Supervise, mentor, and evaluate performance of legal staff; ensure continuous professional development and legal compliance.

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
• Admission to the California State Bar and active membership in good standing.
• Minimum of twelve (12) years of progressively responsible experience practicing municipal law, including at least five (5) years in a senior legal leadership role supervising attorneys and legal staff in a public agency.
• Minimum of three (3) years providing legal counsel directly to elected officials or executive municipal leadership, including advising during closed sessions, legislative processes, and high-impact municipal decisions.
• Demonstrated experience managing outside legal counsel and coordinating complex legal matters across multiple departments.
• Substantial experience with complex municipal transactions, such as land use redevelopment agreements, public-private partnerships, and municipal finance instruments (e.g., bond counsel).
• Experience litigating high-stakes matters in state and federal courts, including constitutional or civil rights claims.
• In-depth knowledge and application of California municipal…