Municipal / Public Law Attorney Associate - Advisory / Transactional / Counsel Work

Job Description

Job Description

Direct Counsel is seeking a Municipal Associate with 2–5 years of experience to join an expanding Public Law practice representing cities, counties, special districts, and other public agencies throughout California .

This is an excellent opportunity for an attorney with public agency or municipal law experience who wants meaningful client responsibility and exposure to a broad range of municipal governance, public contracting, regulatory, land use, ethics, and advisory matters .

MAINLY REMOTE – MUST RESIDE IN CALIFORNIA! Responsibilities

• Advise cities, counties, special districts, and other public agency clients on municipal and public law matters.
• Review, draft, and negotiate public agency and municipal contracts.
• Conduct legal research and prepare legal memoranda.
• Assist with matters involving:
  • Public contracting and procurement
  • Regulatory compliance
  • Government ethics and conflicts of interest
  • Open meeting and public records requirements
• Research and analyze issues arising under:
  • Political Reform Act
  • FPPC Regulations
  • Ralph M. Brown Act
  • California Public Records Act
• Assist with land use and development matters involving:
  • Planning and zoning
  • Subdivision Map Act
  • California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
• Support attorneys on transactional and advisory matters for public agency clients.
• Communicate directly with clients, public officials, agency staff, and colleagues.
• Independently manage assigned matters while collaborating with experienced public law attorneys.

Qualifications

• 2–5 years of relevant legal experience.
• Active membership in good standing with the California State Bar .
• Experience with public agency and/or municipal law .
• Excellent legal research, writing, drafting, and analytical skills.
• Ability to independently manage matters and communicate directly with public officials and agency staff.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Self-motivated with a strong work ethic and collaborative approach.

Preferred Experience

• Municipal or public agency representation.
• Public contracting and procurement.
• Political Reform Act and FPPC compliance.
• Brown Act and Public Records Act matters.
• Land use, planning, and zoning.
• Subdivision Map Act and CEQA matters.
• Drafting and negotiating government contracts.

Compensation & Benefits

• Base Salary: $150,000–$190,000 , depending on experience.
• Annual performance-based bonuses.
• Discretionary and billable-hours bonus opportunities.
• Reasonable billable-hours requirement.
• Mainly remote work arrangement for California-based attorneys.
• Competitive health insurance benefits.
• 401(k) with partial employer match.
• Strong mentorship and professional development opportunities.

Why This Opportunity

This is an excellent opportunity to develop a broad California municipal and public law practice while working directly with public agency clients on sophisticated advisory and transactional matters. Attorneys receive meaningful responsibility, direct exposure to public officials and agency decision-makers, reasonable billable expectations, and strong mentorship within a collaborative environment.

Interested? Apply through Direct Counsel or reach out to learn more.