Brief

Introduced by Councilmembers Tim McOsker and Katy Yaroslavsky, this motion directs the Office of the City Attorney to submit a comprehensive staffing plan and data on outside counsel spending. The Council adopted the item 11-0-4 on February 11, 2026, after approval from the Personnel and Hiring Committee and Budget and Finance Committee. The file is now closed following final Council action.

Full summary

Introduced by Councilmembers Tim McOsker and Katy Yaroslavsky on January 13, 2026, this motion directs the City Attorney to develop a comprehensive staffing plan aimed at significantly reducing the city's reliance on expensive outside counsel. The plan, to be prepared with assistance from the City Administrative Officer, the Personnel Department, the City Attorneys Association, and relevant bargaining groups, must detail the number of new positions needed across litigation, advisory, and specialized units, along with recommended job classifications, competitive salary ranges, recruitment timelines, hiring strategies, and any Civil Service or Council action required. It must also project the long-term fiscal savings expected from shifting legal work from outside firms to in-house attorneys. Beyond staffing numbers, the City Attorney is directed to address the broader conditions affecting the office: hiring barriers that impede recruiting and retaining qualified attorneys, workload pressures across litigation, advisory, and municipal law functions, and any budgetary, structural, or policy changes needed to ensure the office can adequately meet the city's legal needs. The Budget and Finance Committee amended the original motion on February 3, 2026, adding two further directives. First, the City Attorney must also assess staffing needs to support an expedited review process for court judgments that accrue interest, ensuring those judgments reach the Claims Board and the Budget and Finance Committee within 30 days. Second, the Chief Legislative Analyst is asked to identify any changes to the Los Angeles Municipal Code, the Los Angeles Administrative Code, or the city's Financial Policies needed to enforce that 30-day timeline. The file moved from the Personnel and Hiring Committee to Budget and Finance, where it was approved unanimously, and was then adopted by the full Council 11-0-4 on February 11, 2026. Final action was recorded February 13, 2026. The file is related to Council File 25-1023, indicating this is part of a broader Council effort to examine City Attorney operations and spending.

Activity (9)

• 2026-02-13 Council action final.
• 2026-02-11 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
• 2026-02-06 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on February 11, 2026.
• 2026-02-03 Budget and Finance Committee approved as amended .
• 2026-01-30 Budget and Finance Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on February 3, 2026.
• 2026-01-23 Personnel and Hiring Committee transmitted Council File to Budget and Finance Committee.
• 2026-01-23 Personnel and Hiring Committee approved item(s) .
• 2026-01-16 Personnel and Hiring Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on January 23, 2026.
• 2026-01-13 Motion referred to Budget and Finance Committee; Personnel and Hiring Committee.

Documents (9)

• 2026-05-06 Communication(s) from Public · communication
• 2026-02-13 Council Action · council_action
• 2026-02-11 Motion (McOsker - Blumenfield) · motion
• 2026-02-03 Report from Budget and Finance Committee · report
• 2026-02-03 Communication from Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, Fifth District - Amendment · other
• 2026-02-03 Speaker Card(s) · speaker_card
• 2026-01-23 Report from Personnel and Hiring Committee · report
• 2026-01-23 Speaker Card(s) · speaker_card
• 2026-01-13 Motion · motion