NOVEMBER 2024 VOTER GUIDE
CITY ATTORNEY
What is the City Attorney?
The City Attorney is the City and County of San Francisco’s chief lawyer, responsible for defending San Francisco in litigation initiated against it, protecting the city from litigation, and representing the city in legal matters that involve the public’s interests.
The City Attorney has more than 20 teams of assistant city attorneys to help carry out their duties, handling specific subjects like Ethics & Elections, Energy & Telecommunications, Code Enforcement, and General Claims.
The City Attorney is separate from the district attorney, and does not handle criminal prosecutions.
In 2023, the base salary for the City Attorney was $300,000.
Why You Should Care
The City Attorney represents San Francisco in all legal matters, and can pursue litigation against bad actors who have wronged San Franciscans or the city. This includes defending the city against frivolous lawsuits, like the recent attempt to keep the city from enforcing street cleanliness laws. Through the cases the City Attorney chooses to pursue, they represent San Francisco’s values and policy stances.
Our Vision for This Office
San Francisco’s City Attorney should effectively manage their team of attorneys to consistently deliver legal victories for residents. They should be motivated to serve the public and have a sharp legal mind.
✅ David Chiu
Since his appointment in 2021, David Chiu has been a force as the city’s chief lawyer, leading on major issues like consumer and tenant’s rights, while securing millions of dollars in settlement money for workers and the city. His office’s victory in the Walgreen’s opioid case was the first of its kind in the United States, and that case, combined with other settlements, ultimately gave San Francisco $350 million to support the city’s substance use recovery efforts. Chiu garnered multi-million dollar settlements for workers in the Doordash and Instacart labor disputes, and launched a Gun Violence Restraining Order program to remove firearms from individuals who endanger themselves or others. He also successfully navigated the lawsuit from the Coalition on Homelessness which prevented San Francisco from effectively addressing homelessness, and filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in the City of Grants Pass v. Johnson case. We’re endorsing David Chiu for City Attorney because he’s a staunch defender and advocate for San Francisco, who’s delivered big legal wins for San Franciscans.
Paid for by TogetherSF Action. Not authorized by any candidate or a committee controlled by a candidate. Financial disclosures are available at sfethics.org.
