Job Description

Posting number: 2026-3555

Department: Los Angeles Department of Water & Power

Division: Power, Rates & Public Finance

Job classification: Deputy City Attorney III

Posting type: Open

Categories: Attorney

Summary

The Water & Power Division acts as counsel to the Department of Water & Power (DWP), its officers and employees and the Board of Water & Power Commissioners.

Examples of duties

The Attorney’s duties will include representing and advising DWP on a wide range of matters relating to the Power System’s operations. The responsibilities will entail transactional and litigation work, including the following:

• Represent and advise DWP at the administrative, trial court and appellate levels on local, state and federal regulatory issues and requirements affecting DWP operations (FERC, CEC, CPUC), including appearances before state and federal regulatory agencies.
• Prepare and review letters of intent and contracts for the purchase and sale of energy and transmission capacity, as well as the acquisition/disposition of generation and transmission facilities.
• Review proposed and existing legislation on renewables, greenhouse gas, energy efficiency and other energy matters for potential impact to DWP.
• Prepare and review legal documents for customer agreements, including rates, interconnection, fiber and telecommunication.
• Prepare resolutions, ordinances and other documents necessary to implement the transactions and documents discussed above and advice relating to the powers and limitations imposed by the City Charter and other matters of general municipal law.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Applicants for this position must have a valid license to practice law in all of the courts within the State of California. Additional requirements include:

• Five (5) years of experience in regulatory law and public contracts or renewable energy transactions in a private or public utility arena and litigation experience is required.
• Travel to San Francisco, Sacramento, Washington D.C and other locations to attend meetings or regulatory hearings will be required.
• Demonstrated research skills.
• Strong written and oral communication and problem-solving skills.

The following qualifications are highly desirable:

• Experience with municipal law; and
• Ability to deal effectively with public officials, departmental personnel and members of the public, and to work as part of a team.

Requirements for Application

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Candidates are required to submit a recent writing sample personally authored in the last two years.

Supplemental information

Retirement Benefits

Employees participate in the Los Angeles City Employees’ Retirement System (LACERS), which includes mandatory employee pension contributions through payroll deduction. The City also contributes toward the employee’s retirement benefit. Contribution rates are established by the applicable retirement system and may vary based on employee classification, membership status, and other factors. For more information, please visit: https://www.lacers.org.

Work Location and Parking

221 N. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles. Position is subject to assignment at any location of the Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney.

This position requires regular onsite work. Employer-provided parking is limited and may not be available for this classification. Employees may be responsible for securing and paying for parking at nearby facilities.

Applicants are encouraged to review available commute and transportation resources through the City’s COMMUTEwell program. For more information, please visit: https://lacommutewell.com.

Probation

Appointment to this exempt position (non Civil-Service) will be subject to a two year probationary period as required by Section 1050 of the City Charter. Successful completion of the two-year probationary period will result in tenure with the office.

Annual Salary Range

Deputy City Attorney III: $175,642 - $256,803

Deputy City Attorney IV: $201,450 - $294,533

Classification

For internal applicants only – Placement in this position will initially be as a lateral transfer with the selected candidate assuming the position in their current classification.

Application and Deadline

Interested candidates should go to: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacityattorney/ to apply online.

Conflict-of-Interest

This position is designated as Category 1 on the Conflict-of-Interest Code.

Contact

Questions? Please email atty.recruit@lacity.org.