A career with real-world impact: What municipal law practice looks like

For early-career attorneys interested in a broad, fast-paced practice with real-world impact, municipal law offers a compelling path.

Paloma Perez-McEvoy, a partner at Olivarez Madruga Law Organization LLP and co-chair of the firm's municipal law group, serves as city attorney for several Los Angeles-area cities and advises other public agencies, including school districts and county offices of education. Her work spans legal disciplines -- from land use and environmental review to public contracting and tax law -- and often involves direct engagement with elected officials and the communities they serve.

"You're really a jack of all trades," she said. "You have to be knowledgeable in various aspects of the law."

Municipal lawyers like Perez-McEvoy often operate as de facto in-house counsel. Though their firms are contracted by cities, they sit at the dais during council meetings, draft ordinances, advise on legal risks, and help shape policy from the ground up. "Even as a contract attorney, we actually are in the capacity of city attorney in most of these cities," she said. "We come with a whole team behind us that can work on a variety of topics."

That structure offers benefits to both cities and attorneys. "A lot of times if we see an issue in one city, it's not the only time we're going see it," she said. "It's not the only time we're going to deal with it."

Perez-McEvoy's background includes years in state and local government, including eight years at Los Angeles City Hall. "We oftentimes had to consult with the city attorney to understand the lay of the land or the legal constraints that we have to work with in order to implement those policies that we want to implement," she said. "A really good city attorney will figure out ways on how to get to yes."

She later worked in private practice representing real estate developers, where she deepened her expertise in CEQA and California's housing streamlining laws. That experience informs her current work helping cities navigate projects with multiple stakeholders and competing priorities -- like the development of local cannabis regulations.

"It's not just writing the ordinance and saying, yes, one can have recreational cannabis, assuming that that's the direction that a city may want to go," she said. "What is the policy going to look like?"

Municipal work can be both legally and politically complex. Perez-McEvoy regularly presents at public hearings on controversial issues, answering questions from council members and facing scrutiny from residents. She sees it as part of the job. "You're here to be able to provide that roadmap and give the decision makers... that toolbox and that understanding so that they can make a fully informed decision," she said.

For law students and early-career attorneys interested in the field, she recommends taking local government or land use courses and pursuing internships that build practical judgment and adaptability. Her own time as a public defender helped prepare her for the unpredictability of day-to-day practice. "You had to be nimble, you had to think on your feet, right?" she said.

It's also a practice area with long-term viability. "There's always work to be done," she said. "And even in times of dire straits, you know, people look to attorneys to help solve their problems."

Perez-McEvoy is candid about the importance of choosing a career path that aligns with how you actually want to spend your days. "When you're talking to prospective employers, ask them 'What does a typical day look like?'" she said. "For me, it's... interacting with different departments, navigating complex issues... and working with decision makers."

The reward, for her, is the ability to see a direct connection between legal work and community outcomes. "That's maybe one of the more rewarding parts about being a municipal attorney," she said. "Again, going back to the idea of being able to provide a tangible good, that's, I think, the rewarding part of this job."

This story was written with the assistance of artificial intelligence tools.