Assistant / Deputy City Attorney
Salary
$137,477.00 - $215,551.00 Annually
Location
City Hall, 100 Santa Rosa Ave Santa Rosa, CA
Job Type
Full-Time
Job Number
25/26-78ASM-O
Department
City Attorney
Opening Date
06/05/2026
Closing Date
6/28/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
FLSA
Exempt
Bargaining Unit
17
The Position
Join Santa Rosa's Collaborative Legal Team as an Assistant / Deputy City Attorney and Help Shape the Future of Our Community
Note: A salary increase of 4% is scheduled to be effective the first pay period of July 2026
The salary ranges below represent the current ranges for both classifications
and do not include the scheduled 4% salary increase.
DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY SALARY RANGE :$137,477.00- $171,781.00 Annually
ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY SALARY RANGE :$172,582.00- $215,551.00 Annually
The City of Santa Rosa is committed to building a workforce reflective of our community and establishing a lasting culture of equity and belonging within our organization. Our collective talents and expertise contribute to high-quality public services that support a vibrant, resilient, and inclusive City for our community and visitors. We celebrate a diverse workforce and welcome all qualified candidates to apply.
The City of Santa Rosa is recruiting for an Assistant City Attorney to join a highly collaborative in-house legal team serving a thriving and dynamic northern California community. In addition to offering a great work environment and competitive salary, the City of Santa Rosa provides a generous benefits package, including retirement through CalPERS, a competitive leave package, a choice of three health plans, flexible spending program, employer contributions to a Retiree Health Savings plan, and top of the line, employer paid vision and dental coverage.
The Benefits of City Employment
In addition to offering a rewarding work environment, opportunity for career growth, and an excellent salary, the City of Santa Rosa provides a generous suite of benefits, including retirement through CalPERS, a competitive leave accrual package, your choice between health plans, and top of the line employer paid (free to you) vision and dental coverage. More information regarding benefits associated with this position can be found on our Miscellaneous Employee Benefits page.
THE DEPARTMENT
The Santa Rosa City Attorneys Office is comprised of highly-skilled attorneys with significant public agency and private practice experience. It is an office that values innovation, mutual respect, and an environment where attorneys and professional staff work closely together, share knowledge freely, and support one another's success. Our office takes pride in providing thoughtful, practical legal counsel that advances the City's mission and serves the public interest. The office is highly regarded by the local legal community, the City Council, and City employees.
The City of Santa Rosa is seeking a skilled municipal attorney who is passionate about public service. This position offers an exceptional opportunity to engage in meaningful work, advising on complex legal, regulatory, and policy matters that directly impact City operations and the community. The ideal candidate will bring strong legal analysis, sound judgement, and a practical, client-focused approach to delivering excellent advice.
THE POSITION
The ideal candidate will be a versatile municipal lawyer with the ability to work across subject matters and adapt to evolving organizational needs. Experience in land use, environmental law, and housing law is especially desirable. We are looking for an attorney who has a strong knowledge base who also excels at translating complex legal issues into clear, actionable advice for decision-makers. The successful candidate will be comfortable serving as a trusted legal partner to City leadership, departments, boards, and commissions. A collaborative style, excellent interpersonal communication, and a deep commitment to public service will be essential for success in this role.
The ideal candidate will have a minimum of three years (Deputy) or five years (Assistant) of experience in municipal law or equivalent or five years of experience in transactional law or equivalent. Expertise in land use, Planning, CEQA and housing law and experience working with a Planning Commission or similar appointed or elected body are highly desirable.
REQUIRED APPLICATION ATTACHEMENT :
Applicants must submit a writing sample as an attachment to their online application. The writing sample should consist of a document prepared in the course of professional employment that best demonstrates the applicants ability to identify, analyze, and communicate legal issues.
Confidential or privileged information should be redacted prior to submission.
Failure to attach the required writing sample by the final filing date may result in disqualification from the recruitment process.
APPLICATION REVIEW :
The first review of applications is scheduled for June 22, 2026. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply by this date for initial consideration. The recruitment will remain open through the posted final filing date, and applications received after the first review date will continue to be considered.
Examples of Duties and Responsibilities
Depending upon assignment, duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:
Additional Duties:
In addition to the duties listed in the Essential Duties Section, each employee in this classification may perform the following duties:
Perform related duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications
Knowledge of: Legal principles and procedures, including civil, criminal and administrative law and procedures; court rules and rules of evidence; methods of legal research, including computer research
Ability to: Communicate clearly and concisely, orally and in writing; analyze and prepare a wide variety of legal documents, including ordinances, resolutions, contracts, memoranda, and pleadings; conduct research on legal problems and prepare sound legal opinions; prepare and present cases effectively in court or administrative proceedings; establish and maintain cooperative and collaborative relationships with other City employees, City officials and members of the public.
Deputy City Attorney:
Required Experience and Education: A combination of experience and education that would likely provide the required knowledge and ability to perform the required duties. Experience: A typical way to obtain the knowledge and ability would be possession of two or more years of experience performing duties comparable to those of a deputy city attorney in a chartered city. Education: A Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school or the equivalent.
Assistant City Attorney:
Required Experience and Education: Any combination of experience and education that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities would be qualifying. Experience: A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and ability would be possession of five or more years of experience performing duties comparable to those of a Deputy City Attorney in the City of Santa Rosa. Education: Possession of a Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school or the equivalent is required.
Necessary Special Requirement: Active membership in the State Bar of California and ability to gain admission to the Bar for the Federal District Court for the Northern District of California.
Additional Information
Incumbents in this classification are expected to comprehend and make inferences from statutes, cases, pleadings, and letters; produce ordinances, resolutions, contracts, memoranda, complaints, answers to complaints, briefs and other pleadings, emails and letters; review and check the work of clerical and paralegal personnel and other attorneys; communicate orally in public meetings, depositions, court hearings, administrative proceedings, conferences, and training sessions, and on the telephone. The preparation of written materials requires the use of repetitive arm hand movement. The preparation of materials for public meetings, court hearings and training sessions requires the incumbent to draft charts or graphs. Working in an office environment and appearances in public meetings and in court require a sustained posture in a seated position for prolonged periods of time.
The City does not discriminate on the basis of disability in employment. Requests for reasonable accommodations needed to participate in the recruitment process may be made by submitting a Request for Reasonable Accommodation Form within five (5) business days of being noticed that an event requiring accommodation is occurring. You may also contact the Human Resources Department at (707) 543-3060 or jobs@srcity.org.
In addition to offering a challenging, rewarding work environment and excellent salary, the City of Santa Rosa provides a generous suite of benefits.
This classification is in Unit 17, Professional Attorneys in affiliation with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
Click HERE to view the Miscellaneous Benefit Summary and more on the Citys Benefit Summary page.
01
The purpose of this supplemental questionnaire is to gather information used to evaluate your qualifications for this position. For your application to receive further consideration, your responses must be supported by the information provided in the "Work History" section of your application. You must submit a complete application and provide clear, concise, and detailed responses to all supplemental questions by the final filing date and time. Responses such as "see resume" are not acceptable. Information included in resumes, cover letters, or other attachments will not be used to determine your eligibility and will not substitute for completing any part of the application-unless specifically requested as part of the application process. If you have not completed all required sections, please return to the application and do so before submitting. Do you understand and agree to this statement?
02
Which of the following best describes your qualifications?
03
Please describe your experience in land use, planning and zoning, affordable housing, the subdivision map act, and environmental law (CEQA, NEPA, CWA, ESA, etc.).
04
Please describe your experience advising a city council, board of supervisors, planning commission or other similar elected or appointed board or commission.
05
Please describe the most challenging transactional law or land use matter for which you have taken lead responsibility.
06
Please briefly describe your experience in the following areas: 1) Brown Act 2) Political Reform Act 3) Public Records Act 4) other relevant areas of municipal law.
07
You must submit, as an online attachment to this application, a writing sample of a document you have prepared in the course of your professional employment that best demonstrates your ability to identify and analyze a legal issue or issues. Do you understand and agree to submit the required writing sample?
Required Question
Employer City of Santa Rosa
Address 100 Santa Rosa Ave, Room 1
Santa Rosa, California, 95404
Phone 707-543-3060