Per the City Charter, the City Attorney has the following powers and duties:

• To be the sole and exclusive legal advisor of the City, the City Council and all City commissions, committees, officers and employees.
• Institute numerous nuisance abatement, procedures and eviction, and provide the legal assistance which results in the closure and/or eviction of problem tenants.
• Receive and respond to written requests for legal assistance from various City offices.
• Prepare formal contracts and leases, as well as thousands of opinions and other legal documents.
• Prepare all ordinances and resolutions for the City.
• Receive and investigate all liability claims for money damages and all workers’ compensation claims.
• Represent the City in all litigated matters.
• Attend and furnish legal advice and assistance at hundreds of meetings of all boards, commissions and committees of the City.

In addition, on a daily basis, the office provides legal advice and assistance to all of the City’s enterprise activities (many of which are not normally undertaken by municipalities). They include:

• Port of Long Beach – One of the nation’s busiest container ports with over 4 billion in ongoing development.
• Airport – In total operations, the tenth busiest airport in the nation.
• Energy Resources – One of only three municipal natural gas utilities in California and the nation’s only municipal crude oil production company.
• SERRF – A successful large operating municipal trash-to-energy plant in California. It generates enough energy to fill the needs of 100,000 people per day.
• Water – Complete water and sewer service.
• Tidelands – Includes a major convention and entertainment complex and the largest small boat marina in the United States as well as 5-1/2 miles of beaches and lifeguard services.
• Public Health – One of only three municipal public health departments in California.  Handled COVID response for Long Beach.
• Towing/Storage/Impound – One of the few municipal towing and storage operations in the state.
• Successor Agency (formally the Redevelopment Agency of the City of Long Beach.)