City Attorney (San Francisco) Records, 1906-1990

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Summary

Title:
Office of the City Attorney (San Francisco) Records
Dates:
1906-1990
Creators:
San Francisco (Calif.). City Attorney's Office
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.
Extent:
27 cartons, 1 document box (27.5 Cubic Feet)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Office of the City Attorney (San Francisco) Records (SFH 693), San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.

Background

Scope and content:

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.

Biographical / historical:

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.

  1. Litigation: legal proceedings, administrative hearings, proceedings in state/federal trial or appellate and US supreme court.
  2. Advice: both oral and written advice, approve contracts, ordinances, and other city documents. The office provides advice but does not make policy.
The City Attorney:
  • 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
Acquisition information:

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)

Processing information:

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.

Arrangement:

Record Group 1, Opinions is arranged chronologically by date.

Record Group 2, Series 2.1, Craft Workers Strike is arranged by trial calendar.

Physical location:
Open for research. The collection is offsite and advance notice is required for retrieval. Material must be requested at least 4 business days in advance of visit.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Compiled by Katherine Ets-Hokin
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2022-06-02 16:29:07 +0000 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research and available for use during San Francisco History Center hours. Photographs are available during Photo Desk hours. This collection must be requested at least 4 business days in advance of visit.

Audio tapes are not available during digitization, as of 3/17/2025.

Terms of access:

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.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Office of the City Attorney (San Francisco) Records (SFH 693), San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.

Location of this collection:
San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102, US
Contact:
(415) 557-4567
sfhistory@sfpl.org
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