Collection Guide
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Finding aid to the Office of the City Attorney (San Francisco) Records
(1906-1990)
SFH 693
SFH 693
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Table of contents
Title: Office of the City Attorney (San Francisco) Records
Date (inclusive): 1906-1990
Identifier/Call Number: SFH 693
Creator:
San Francisco (Calif.). City Attorney's Office
Physical Description:
27 cartons, 1 mss box
(27.5 Cubic Feet)
Contributing Institution:
San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 557-4567
sfhistory@sfpl.org
Abstract: The city attorney serves the mayor, the board of supervisors, city departments and units of government as set by Charter §6.102.
The collection includes opinions published by the city attorney (1906-1990), and materials generated and collected by the
city attorney in their suit against the Bricklayers, Pipelayers and other craft unions for their participation in the 1976
Craft Workers Strike.
Physical Location: The collection is stored off-site.
Language of Material:
English
The collection is available for use during San Francisco History Center hours, with photographs available during Photo Desk
hours. Collections that are stored offsite should be requested 48 hours in advance.
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the City Archivist. Permission
for publication is given on behalf of the San Francisco Public Library as the owner of the physical items.
[Identification of item], Office of the City Attorney (San Francisco) Records (SFH 693), San Francisco History Center, San
Francisco Public Library.
Record Group 1, Opinions: transferred by city department.
Record Group 2, Series 2.1, Craft Workers Strike: an initial donation of 20 boxes was made by John Holzman for the City Attorney's
Office in 1996. A second donation of four boxes was made by Tom Mazery for the City Attorney's Office in 1996. (1996-19)
Related Materials at Other Institutions
After the Strike was Over: A Case Study of the 1976 San Francisco Craft Worker Strike, and a Model for the Future. By Anthony
James Balzer. As of 3/15/2023 available on microfilm at UC Berkeley Library.
Record Group 1, Opinions: The record group was rehoused in new boxes and folders.
Record Group 2, Legal Proceedings: The series City Strike was reboxed and remains in original folders.
Titles were transferred to SFPL Government Information Center. Political code of California (1909), Codes and General Laws
California (1911-1913), General Ordinances of the City and County of San Francisco (1907), General Laws of California (1906,
1923).
The city attorney serves the mayor, the board of supervisors, city departments and units of government as an elected official
set by Charter §6.102.
The mission of the San Francisco City Attorney's Office is to provide the highest quality legal services to the Mayor, Board
of Supervisors, and other elected officials as well as to the approximately 100 departments, boards, commissions and offices
that comprise the City and County of San Francisco's government.
The office of the city attorney was established in 1850 by the Act of Incorporation and Ordinances. The Consolidation Act
of the City and County of San Francisco of 1856 merged the city and county, so in 1898 when the City Attorney became an elected
position the office represented both the city and county.
With the combination of San Francisco's city and county governments, the office serves as both the city's counsel and as city
attorney. This is unusual in California, since in most cities and counties the offices are two separate entities, with the
counsel representing the county, and the attorney representing the city. For this reason, the office of San Francisco City
Attorney is much larger and more complex than in other municipalities.
The City Attorney practices civil law and does not represent the city and county in criminal cases. Criminal cases are represented
by the District Attorney. The office performs two main functions: 1) litigates in civil proceedings and 2) provides advice
to the city government.
- Litigation: legal proceedings, administrative hearings, proceedings in state/federal trial or appellate and US supreme court.
- Advice: both oral and written advice, approve contracts, ordinances, and other city documents. The office provides advice but does not make policy.
- Represents the city and county in civil legal proceedings
- Provides advice and written opinions to department heads, the board commissioner and units of government
- Makes recommendations to the board of supervisors for and against settlement and dismissal of legal proceedings
- Approves bonds, contracts, and ordinances
- Examines and approves title to all real property to be acquired by the city
- Annually prepares reviews to the public for codification of ordinance
- Provides disposition of all claims made against the city
- Investigates, evaluates and recommends advice
Record Group 1, Opinions: The record group contains opinions issued by the Office of the City Attorney from 1906-1990. Digitized
opinions, for some years, are also available online through the library's catalog.
Record Group 2, Legal Proceedings: The record group includes one series containing materials used by the San Francisco City
Attorney in the Bricklayers case and appeal. It includes depositions, files for appeal, pleading files, interrogations, opinions,
law and research files, motions to specify issues, complaints, witness statements, exhibits, damages, and reporter transcripts
sourced from the Mazzola v. Feinstein case. The collection also includes news clippings, meeting minutes for Plumbers Local
38, Board of Supervisors hearing notices, microfilm and print outs of microfilm, correspondence and audio tape recordings
of interviews with strike participants. There are no photographs.
Record Group 1, Opinions is arranged chronologically by date.
Record Group 2, Series 2.1, Craft Workers Strike is arranged by trial calendar.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Municipal officials and employees -- California -- San Francisco
Strikes and lockouts -- California -- San Francisco
Courts -- United States -- Cases
City attorneys' opinions -- San Francisco, Calif.
San Francisco (Calif.). City Attorney's Office
City attorneys (San Francisco, Calif.)