Municipal Law / Land Use Attorney

Municipal Law / Land Use Attorney 

Location: Citrus Heights, California
Employment Type: Full-Time
Work Arrangement: Hybrid
Compensation: $170,000 – $230,000 Base Salary + Annual Billing Bonus

 

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Municipal Law & Land Use Attorney to join a growing legal team serving public agency clients. This position offers the opportunity to provide legal counsel on a broad range of municipal, land use, governance, and transactional matters while working closely with public officials, staff, boards, and commissions.

The ideal candidate will have experience representing public agencies and advising clients on complex legal and regulatory issues, including land use, zoning, public meetings, contracts, and municipal operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Advise public agencies on municipal law, governance, and regulatory matters.
• Provide day-to-day legal counsel to city departments, boards, commissions, and public officials.
• Draft, review, and negotiate contracts, agreements, ordinances, resolutions, and other legal documents.
• Assist clients with land use, planning, zoning, and development matters.
• Conduct legal research and provide written and oral legal opinions.
• Attend and advise at city council meetings, planning commission meetings, and other public meetings as required.
• Analyze proposed legislation, regulations, and policies affecting public agencies.
• Assist with transactional matters, including public procurement, real estate, and development agreements.
• Support clients with compliance matters involving local, state, and federal laws.
• Develop practical legal solutions and risk-management strategies for public agency clients.

Required Qualifications

Education & Licensing

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school.
• Active membership in good standing with the California State Bar.

Experience

• Minimum 5 years of experience representing public agencies.
• Demonstrated experience in municipal law matters.
• Experience handling land use and zoning issues.
• Experience with transactional legal work, including drafting and negotiating agreements.
• Experience providing advisory and general counsel services to public entities.

Preferred Experience

Experience in one or more of the following areas is highly desirable:

• City Attorney or Assistant City Attorney services
• Planning and zoning law
• California Government Code compliance
• Public contracting and procurement
• Real estate and development agreements
• Public meetings and governance matters
• Environmental and regulatory compliance
• Brown Act and Public Records Act matters
• Special districts and local government representation

Core Competencies

Legal Skills

• Municipal law and public agency representation
• Land use and zoning analysis
• Contract drafting and negotiation
• Legal research and writing
• Regulatory compliance
• Public meeting attendance and advisement
• Transactional legal support

Professional Skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to build trusted client relationships
• Strong organizational and project-management skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines
• Collaborative and client-focused approach

Work Arrangement

This is a hybrid position offering work-from-home flexibility.

In-person attendance is required for:

• City council and public meetings
• Team meetings
• Client-related obligations
• Other required in-person engagements

Candidates must reside within a reasonable commuting distance of the Citrus Heights office.

Billable Hour Requirement

• Annual billable requirement: 1,800 hours

Attorney Bonus Program

Attorneys who meet the annual billable-hour requirement are eligible for a performance bonus.

Bonus Structure

• Must achieve the annual goal of 1,800 billable hours .
• Earn $50 per hour for each credited hour worked above the annual goal.
• Bonus is calculated using credited time, including qualifying billable and approved administrative time.
• Bonus eligibility is capped at 250 hours above goal .

Maximum Annual Bonus Opportunity

$12,500

Compensation & Career Growth

• Competitive base salary of $170,000 – $230,000
• Annual billing bonus opportunity
• Hybrid work flexibility
• Opportunity to work directly with public agency clients
• Strong mentorship and professional development opportunities
• Clear path for long-term advancement and leadership growth
• Comprehensive benefits package available upon hire