CITY ATTORNEY

Los Angeles City Charter tit. I, art. II, pt. CITY ATTORNEY

in effect

Los Angeles City Charter § 270 Qualifications.

Sec. 270. Qualifications. The City Attorney must be qualified to practice in all the courts of the state, and must have been so qualified for at least five years immediately preceding his or her election. The City Attorney shall devote his or her entire time to the duties of the office.

Los Angeles City Charter § 271 Powers and Duties.

Sec. 271. Powers and Duties. The powers and duties of the City Attorney shall be as follows: (a) The City Attorney shall represent the City in all legal proceedings against the City. The City Attorney shall initiate appropriate legal proceedings on behalf of the City. (b) The City Attorney shall be the legal advisor to the City, and to all City boards, departments, officers and entities. The City Attorney shall give advice or opinion in writing when requested to do so by any City officer or board. (c) The City Attorney shall prosecute on behalf of the people all criminal cases and related proceedings arising from violation of the provisions of the Charter and City ordinances, and all misdemeanor offenses arising from violation of the laws of the state occurring in the City. (d) The City Attorney shall approve in writing the form of all surety or other bonds required by the Charter, or by ordinance, before the bonds are submitted to the proper body, board or officer for final approval, and no such bond shall be approved without approval as to form by the City Attorney. Except as otherwise provided in the Charter, the City Attorney shall approve in writing the form of all contracts before the contracts are entered into by or on behalf of the City. (e) The City Attorney shall keep records of all actions and proceedings in which the City or any officer or board is an interested party, and copies of all written opinions given by the City Attorney’s office. The City Attorney shall comply with all requests for information from the Mayor or Council, and shall report on a regular basis to the Mayor and Council on all matters of litigation, in a form and at times specified by ordinance. In all litigation involving potential financial liability of the City, the City Attorney shall keep the Mayor and Council informed as to the status and progress of litigation. (f) Notwithstanding any other provision of the Charter, in the course of investigating any violations of state or local law that the City Attorney has authority to enforce, the City Attorney shall have the power to subpoena witnesses, compel their attendance and testimony, administer oaths and affirmations, take evidence, require the production of any books, papers, records or other items, and require responses to written interrogatories relevant to the investigation, except that the powers granted by this subsection shall not include the power to investigate City offices, departments, officers, or employees or to compel the production of documents or testimony from City offices, departments, officers, or employees. The Chief of Police, or other officer designated by ordinance, shall cause all such subpoenas or other written orders to be served. The Council shall prescribe by ordinance suitable penalties for disobedience of subpoenas, and the refusal of witnesses to testify, produce evidence, or respond to written interrogatories. SECTION HISTORY Amended by: Subsec. (f) added, Charter Amendment HH, approved November 5, 2024, effective January 8, 2025.

Los Angeles City Charter § 272 Control of Litigation.

Sec. 272. Control of Litigation. The civil client of the City Attorney is the municipal corporation, the City of Los Angeles. The City Attorney shall defend the City in litigation, as well as its officers and employees as provided by ordinance. The City Attorney may initiate civil litigation on behalf of the City or the People of the State of California, and shall initiate civil litigation on behalf of the City when requested to do so by the authority having control over the litigation as set forth below. The City Attorney shall manage all litigation of the City, subject to client direction in accordance with this section, and subject to the City Attorney’s duty to act in the best interests of the City and to conform to professional and ethical obligations. In the course of litigation, client decisions, including a decision to initiate litigation, shall be made by the Mayor, the Council, or boards of commissioners in accordance with this section. However, the decision to settle litigation shall be made in accordance with Section 273. (a) Council. The Council shall make client decisions in litigation involving matters over which the Charter gives the Council responsibility. (b) Mayor. The Mayor shall make client decisions in litigation involving matters over which the Charter gives the Mayor responsibility. (c) Boards. The boards of the Proprietary Departments, the Ethics Commission, the Board of Fire and Police Pension Commissioners, the Board of Administration of the Los Angeles City Employees’ Retirement System, the Board of Administration of the Water and Power Employees’ Retirement System, and the Independent Redistricting Commission shall make client decisions in litigation exclusively involving the policies and funds over which the Charter gives those boards control. (d) Interpretation of Section. The City Attorney shall have the authority to make the determination regarding who is authorized to make client decisions on behalf of the City in accordance with the principles of this section and accepted principles of representation of municipal entities. SECTION HISTORY Amended by: Subsec. (c), Charter Amendment DD, approved November 5, 2024, effective January 8, 2025.

Los Angeles City Charter § 273 Settlement of Litigation.

Sec. 273. Settlement of Litigation. (a) Boards. The boards of the Proprietary Departments, the Ethics Commission, the Board of Fire and Police Pension Commissioners, the Board of Administration of the Los Angeles City Employees’ Retirement System, the Board of Administration of the Water and Power Employees’ Retirement System, and the Independent Redistricting Commission shall have the authority to approve or reject settlement of litigation exclusively involving the policies and funds over which the Charter gives those boards control. The settlement of all other litigation shall be in accordance with subsections (b) and (c) of this section. (b) Settlements Involving Only Money Damages. (1) The Mayor shall have authority to approve or reject settlements involving only the payment or receipt of money damages not exceeding an amount set by ordinance, and shall make client decisions with respect to settlement of such litigation. The Mayor may delegate this authority to the City Attorney. (2) A claims board comprised of the Mayor as chair, the President of the Council and the City Attorney, or their designees, shall have the authority to approve or reject settlement of litigation involving only the payment or receipt of money damages exceeding the amount that is within the Mayor’s authority under the preceding subsection, and below an amount set by ordinance. The claims board shall make client decisions with respect to settlement of such litigation. (3) The Council shall have the authority to approve or reject settlement of litigation that involves only the payment or receipt of money damages exceeding the amount that is within the authority of the claims board under the preceding subsection, subject to veto of the Mayor, and Council override of the Mayor’s veto by a two-thirds vote of the Council. The Council shall make client decisions with respect to settlement of such litigation. The claims board shall make recommendations to the Council concerning settlement of litigation within the scope of this subsection. (c) Other Settlements. The Council shall have the authority to approve or reject settlement of litigation that does not involve only the payment or receipt of money, subject to veto of the Mayor, and Council override of the Mayor’s veto by a two-thirds vote of the Council. SECTION HISTORY Amended by: Subsec. (a), Charter Amendment DD, approved November 5, 2024, effective January 8, 2025.

Los Angeles City Charter § 274 Employment of Assistants.

Sec. 274. Employment of Assistants. The City Attorney may appoint assistants, deputies, clerks and other persons as the Council shall prescribe by ordinance. Each Assistant City Attorney must, at the time of appointment, be qualified to practice in all courts of the state and must have been so qualified for at least two years immediately preceding the appointment. Employment in the City Attorney’s office shall be subject to Section 1050 of Article X of the Charter.

Los Angeles City Charter § 275 Employment of Other Legal Counsel.

Sec. 275. Employment of Other Legal Counsel. Upon recommendation of a board enumerated in Section 272(c), and the written consent of the City Attorney, the City may contract with attorneys outside of the City Attorney’s Office to assist the City Attorney in providing legal services to that department. The City may otherwise contract with outside legal counsel to assist the City Attorney in the discharge of his or her duties under the Charter only upon written approval of the Council and the City Attorney, and consistent with budgetary appropriations.

Source: City of Los Angeles, Charter and Codes (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/los_angeles/latest/laac/0-0-0-853Fetched: 10/24/2026