Description
The responsibilities of the City Attorney's Office consist of representing and advising the City Council and all City officers in all matters of law pertaining to their offices, representing and appearing on behalf of the City in all legal actions or proceedings, providing the City Council with information and advice regarding ongoing litigation and legislation affecting the City, and staffing City Council meetings and City boards and commission meetings as necessary. The City Attorney's Office provides legal advice and support on matters initiated by the City Council, City Manager's Office, and City departments, including review and negotiation of contracts, leases, licenses, policies, and Public Records Act requests responses.
The Office consists of eight attorneys and a Risk Manager, who are supported by a full time Legal Executive Assistant and Legal Office Specialist (recently added in the FY 25-26 budget), as well as a part time Office Assistant.
The Position:
The Legal Executive Assistant position is in the City Attorney’s Office and provides support to the City’s attorneys, as well as the Risk Manager. This is a critical administrative support role in the City Attorney’s Office that is responsible for assisting with a wide variety of legal documents, processes and procedures. The ideal candidate should possess a high level of confidentiality, communication skills, tact and discretion, and be able to manage and track multiple projects for multiple attorneys simultaneously.
The Legal Executive Assistant is distinguished from other classes in the administrative support series in that the incumbent provides responsible, confidential, administrative support services for the City Attorney and other attorneys in the Office. The job involves working with individuals, activities, and issues with which the City Attorney’s Office is involved and requires daily contact with a cross-section of government, community, and public and private officials, as well as individual members of the community. The incumbent must be able to handle non-partisan confidential matters with a high level of judgment.
As a member of the City's Unclassified Service, this is an "at-will" position and the incumbent serves at the discretion of the City Manager.
Additional Information:
Applications must be filled out completely (e.g. do not write “see resume, NA, or personnel file.”). To receive consideration for the screening process, candidates must submit a 1) Cover Letter and, 2) Resume. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Application packets may be submitted online through the “Apply Now” feature on the job announcement at www.santaclaraca.gov. Applications must be submitted by the filing deadline of Thursday, August 14, 2025, at 4:00 PM.
MEETING THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS DOES NOT GUARANTEE ADMITTANCE INTO THE EXAMINATION PROCESS. ONLY THE MOST QUALIFIED CANDIDATES WHO DEMONSTRATE THE BEST COMBINATION OF QUALIFICATIONS IN RELATION TO THE REQUIREMENTS AND DUTIES OF THE POSITION WILL BE INVITED TO TEST OR INTERVIEW.
The annual salary range for this position is $124,099.08 - $160,594.68. This position may be filled at or near the minimum of the salary range.
Minimum Qualifications
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Minimum Education Requirements:
Associate of Arts degree from an accredited college or university in office administration, business management or related field
Minimum Experience Requirements:
Six (6) years of progressively responsible and varied administrative support
Acceptable Substitution:
Experience can be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis, with one year of experience equivalent to either thirty (30) semester or forty-five (45) quarter units.
License/Certifications:
None.
Desirable Qualifications:
- Experience in law office procedures, including court calendaring, litigation procedures, file system organization, records retention and management, and workflow management
- Four (4) years of experience in a legal office setting highly desirable
- Public sector experience highly desirable
Follow this link to view the entire Class Specification, which includes more information on Typical Duties and Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.
The City of Santa Clara is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants for all job openings will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful under any federal, state or local laws. The City of Santa Clara is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at (408) 615-2080 or HumanResources@santaclaraca.gov.