Municipal Law Fellow (Limited Term)

Job Description:

Municipal Law Fellow (Limited Term)

Description

Description

City of Palo Alto invites applications for the position of:

Municipal Law Fellow

The Palo Alto Office of the City Attorney invites recent graduates and current judicial clerks to apply for a Municipal Law Fellowship. The Fellowship is a full-time, paid position beginning in Fall 2026 for a limited term of two years. The ideal candidate will have strong writing and speaking skills, a commitment to public service, and a willingness to engage in practical problem solving in a fast-paced environment.

As part of team of ten attorneys and three professional staff, the Municipal Law Fellow will have an opportunity to gain experience in all aspects of municipal practice, including both litigation and advice in constitutional law, land use regulation, utilities regulation, public contracting, labor and employment law, government tort liability, public ethics, and airport law. While assignments and responsibilities may be tailored to the Municipal Law Fellow's specific interests, the Office of the City Attorney is committed to providing the Municipal Law Fellow with the breadth of training, experience, and professional development opportunities necessary to launch a successful career in public service.

What’s in It for You

• Competitive compensation plan and comprehensive benefits
  
• A collaborative, values-driven workplace
  
• Professional development opportunities and other perks
  
• The chance to make a real impact in public service
  

Essential Duties

Representative duties and responsibilities of the past Municipal Law Fellows may include but not limited to:

• Updating local zoning code and drafting an emergency resolution to support development of affordable housing and other forms of shelter.
• Researching and drafting a firearm safety ordinance, drawing on feedback from local legislators and advocates.
• Supporting local publicly owned utility in initiating programs responsive to effects of climate change, including by responding to drought levels and supporting customers’ energy efficiency.
• Advising public officials on identifying and managing conflicts of interest.
• Ensuring City department practices comply with state and federal law, covering topics such as police and fire services, open meetings, and public records.
• Revising internal City policies for constitutional compliance, such as City social media policies.
• Reviewing state and local law and contracts to respond to questions of liability.
• Responding to state and federal inquiries to promote physical and cyber security.
• Working with various City departments to negotiate with and/or respond to the needs of private entity stakeholders, including universities, property developers, and local interest groups.
• Advice to the City's zoning code enforcement team and representation in administrative hearings.
• Researching legal issues and options for a Safe Parking program to support individuals living in vehicles.
• Drafting an ordinance incentivizing all- electric power for new construction.
• Assisting with City records management, including the production of records pursuant to subpoenas or discovery requests.

Minimum Qualifications

Sufficient education, training and/or work experience to demonstrate possession of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities, which would typically be acquired through:

• Juris Doctorate. Applicants must be law students in their final year at an accredited law school or joint degree program, current judicial clerks recently graduated from an accredited law school, or attorneys in their first year of practice.

Licensing Requirements:
Member in good standing with the California Bar or willingness to seek admission to the California Bar upon eligibility. Failure to gain admission to the California Bar within one year of appointment may result in separation.

Supplemental Information

The Selection Process:

• Job posting will be open until filled with the first review of applications on or about January 26, 2026. Applicants are asked to provide a resume, cover letter, transcript, references, and writing sample. Please direct any questions to city.attorney@paloalto.gov.
  
• Applicants will receive email recruitment status notifications. Governmentjobs.com account also has notification status updates.
  
• Depending on the number of qualified applications received, the examination process may consist of supplemental questions, online assessment, written examination, practical performance, oral examination, or any combination to determine which candidate will move forward in the hiring process.
  
• The screening process for this position typically may include a virtual recorded interview and/or panel interviews preceding final interviews with the hiring manager or their designee.

Our online application system is provided by NeoGov. If you have problems while applying online, please contact NeoGov's Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627 between 6:00 AM and 5:00 PM Pacific Time, Monday - Friday.

The City of Palo Alto is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EEO). In compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), the City will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both perspective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

See our Benefits at a Glance Bookletfor more details.
Learn more about our Memorandum of Agreements (MOAs) between the City and its bargaining units, by clicking HERE.

Closing Date/Time: 1/26/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$101,004.80 - $151,507.20 Annually