Administration

The City Attorney serves the citizens of San Diego as both its Chief Legal Advisor and its misdemeanor prosecutor. The office is divided into three divisions-Civil, Criminal, and Administration.

The primary operations of the Office are established in the San Diego City Charter (Section 40 and 40.1) (PDF) and carried out in its Criminal and Civil Divisions.

The Criminal Division has a public safety mission, mandated by the City Charter, to prosecute State misdemeanor offenses that are committed within City limits and in Poway via an agreement with the San Diego County District Attorney.

The Civil Division has three primary functions. The General Litigation Section defends and protects the City of San Diego from losses when lawsuits are filed against it. It also seeks monetary recovery on behalf of the City. The Civil Advisory Section provides legal support and advice to the City Council, the City Manager and all City Departments.

For more information about the work of the Civil and Criminal Divisions in the City Attorney's Office, please view our City Attorney Annual Report.