Assistant City Attorney

Assistant City Attorney

The City of San Mateo is looking for a highly qualified, experienced Assistant City Attorney.

Why Join our Department?

The Office of the City Attorney serves as the legal department for the City of San Mateo municipal corporation. The Office's attorneys provide advice to the City Council, City staff, and various boards and commissions on the legal issues relating to the conduct of City business. The Office also represents the City in administrative or court proceedings in which the City or City officials are a party. The Office is currently comprised of 4 full time attorney positions and 1 support staff position. The members of the Office strive to provide excellent legal services to the City organization and the community.

San Mateo City Attorney Prasanna W. Rasiah was appointed by the City Council in 2021. Mr. Rasiah has worked as an "in house" municipal lawyer for over 21 years and previously worked in the City Attorney's Offices for the Cities of Redwood City, Fremont, and Berkeley. Mr. Rasiah sees the City Attorney's Office as a key component of the City organization whose function it is to address City challenges and implement City goals as established by the community's elected representatives on the City Council. Mr. Rasiah expects members of the Office to employ a proactive approach in providing advice and counsel to the departments and city officials they serve to avoid legal problems to the maximum extent possible.

What You'll Do

The City of San Mateo is seeking a dynamic candidate to fill the position in the Office of the City Attorney. This successful candidate will provide a wide range of professional legal services to all City departments, the City Council, and various Boards and Commissions, and perform related work as required. This will include acting as the primary legal advisor to the Planning Division, Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation Department, City Clerk, and completing any other special assignments, as needed. The candidate will also provide legal assistance with the development of the City's comprehensive General Plan Update, including a new Housing Element.

Assistant City Attorney is the advance journey level class and is distinguished by the frequent use of independent judgment level and the complexity of work performed. The Assistant City Attorney represents the City Attorney at various City Council and other meetings as required.

For a complete list of duties, reference our job specifications at

Who You Are

· You are a person with a solid work ethic and commitment to the job.

· You are an excellent listener, collaborative, and team oriented.

· You are an excellent verbal and written communicator.

· You are organized and efficient, confident, and concise.

· You are a hands-on and actively engaged team player.

· You are detail oriented and able to manage multiple tasks.

· You work fast, learn quickly, and exercise sound judgment.

· You are tactful and diplomatic in stressful or sensitive situations.

· You interact well with others in a small office environment.

· You are proactive, innovative, and creative.

· You are a responsive individual who can anticipate issues.

· You are sensitive to a diverse community and workplace.

What You Need

Experience and Education

Any combination equivalent to experience and education that could likely provide the required knowledge and abilities would be:

· Two years of experience performing duties comparable to those of a Deputy City Attorney in the City of San Mateo.

Training and Certifications:

· License or Certificate: Membership in the California State Bar Association. - Required

Bonus Points (highly desirable)

· Experience with land use and environmental law (especially CEQA), housing law, and real estate law.

· Experience with the Brown Act, the Public Records Act, conflicts of interest law, and contract drafting and negotiation.

ADA Special Requirement: Essential duties require the following physical abilities and work environment: Ability to work in a standard office environment.

Covid-19 Vaccination Requirement:

In order to promote a safe and healthy workplace for employees and members of the public who interact with employees or visit City of San Mateo worksites and facilities, the City requires all new hires to be fully vaccinated prior to their start date as a condition of employment. This vaccination requirement applies to all merits, per diems, retired annuitants, student assistants, interns and re-hires appointed by the City after January 10, 2022. Fully vaccinated means that the person received, at least 14 days prior, either the second dose in a 2-dose Covid-19 vaccine series (e.g. Pfizer or Moderna), or a single-dose Covid-19 vaccine (e.g. Janssen), as defined by the CDC. Candidates requesting a reasonable accommodation for an exemption from this vaccination requirement based on a medical condition or a sincerely held religious belief must notify View email address on click.appcast.io or View phone number on click.appcast.io and complete the appropriate Accommodation Request form prior to the start date of employment. The City will review exemption requests on a case-by-case basis

Are You Ready?

To apply and learn more about this exciting opportunity, go to:

Application Deadline

Recruitment will be opened until filled. This recruitment is subject to close at any time without notice. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. First review of applications will be May 4, 2022. Second review of applications TBD.

Interview Process

All applications, résumés, and supplemental questionnaires received will be reviewed for minimum qualifications. Applications with "see resume" as a substitution for the work experience description, those with unclear past employment information, or those with insufficient information to evaluate possession of minimum qualifications will not be considered; missing information cannot be assumed. A limited number of the most highly qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the examination process, which may consist of an oral panel interview, written exercise, or in the form of a practical demonstration of skill and ability, or any combination of these, tentatively scheduled for TBD.