COUNSEL TO THE MAYOR

The Counsel to the Mayor is the top legal advisor to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and chief ethics compliance officer for the Mayor’s Office. The Counsel provides legal and policy advice to the Office of the Mayor regarding ethics compliance, conflicts of interest, litigation, claims, labor relations, executive employment, risk management, legislation, elections, and various other matters. The Counsel oversees a small team of lawyers and other policy experts in providing these and related services to the Mayor and his senior staff.

The Counsel is one of four members of the Mayor’s Executive Team and, as such, participates in high-level discussion and oversight of all Mayor’s Office activities, including the supervision of all general managers and commissions, City Council relations, and all internal operational and external relational services of the City. The Counsel is also a member of the Mayor’s senior staff, including the Executive Team, Deputy Mayors, and Senior Advisors. The Counsel also serves as the Mayor’s designee on the three-member City Claims Board, which reviews all proposed litigation compromises over $50,000.

The Counsel and legal team are responsible for oversight of the City Clerk’s Office and City Personnel departments. This includes certain budgetary and policy matters and review of citywide hiring, transfer, and promotional practices. The Counsel is also responsible for providing the liaison between the Mayor’s Office and the City Attorney’s Office, City Ethics Commission, and City Employee Relations Board. The Counsel is the Mayor’s lead City union liaison and labor negotiator, in coordination with the CAO Employee Relations Division, and serves as staff to the Mayor in his role as Chair of the City Executive Employee Relations Committee. The Counsel and team also oversee the Mayor’s Office internship program and other human resources issues related to the Mayor’s Office staff and all City general managers. The Counsel’s office also currently oversees and directs the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs.

The Counsel must maintain a close working relationship with the Chief of Staff, Deputy Chiefs of Staff, and Deputy Mayors in order to provide legal advice and counsel when needed in reviewing policy matters.

The Counsel’s team oversees responses to all Public Records Act requests submitted to the Mayor’s Office. The Counsel and team review all City Council actions and make recommendations for mayoral action (veto, signature, return without signature) in

the areas of litigation settlements, ordinance enactments, charter reforms and other voter measures, outside counsel contracts, federal/state legislative positions, and relevant expenditures or fund transfers. The Counsel and team review contracts within Mayor’s Office and various related City department-initiated contracts. The Counsel drafts or reviews and approves all mayoral Executive Directives, and Counsel and team are responsible for monitoring compliance with various directives. The Counsel reviews and approves mayoral correspondence in areas related to responsibilities. The Counsel also oversees mayoral initiatives in the areas of labor, ethics, civil rights, immigration, and criminal and civil law reform.

The ideal candidate for this position must be an active member of the California State bar, and should have significant civil litigation and legal counseling experience, executive leadership experience, superior communications and interpersonal skills, bringing energy and enthusiasm to this important work.

Public service is a noble calling, and the singular importance of ethics in this work is a deeply held value of Mayor Villaraigosa. This value must be shared and exhibited by all who work for his administration.

Interested individuals should submit a letter of interest and resume to Robin M. Kramer, Chief of Staff at mayor.resumesubmission@lacity.org