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Position: City Government

The City Attorney's Role: Independent Advice, Accountable Decisions

By Tiffany Boccieri, candidate for Laguna Hills City Council, District 4 · Updated October 22, 2026

A lawyer for the city as a whole

Under California law, the City Council appoints the City Attorney, who serves at the council's pleasure and advises city officials "in all legal matters pertaining to city business." California's professional-conduct rules also recognize that a lawyer representing an organization serves the organization itself, meaning the city as an institution. Those rules are direct about who decides: "it is not within the lawyer's province to make decisions on behalf of the organization concerning policy and operations, including ones entailing serious risk."

Good advice sometimes means telling the council that a preferred course is unlawful, risky, or more expensive than it appears. Councilmembers should listen carefully, ask informed questions, and decline to pursue illegal actions. On questions of lawful public policy, the council makes the choice.

Transparency, with a legitimate place for confidentiality

Important policy decisions belong in public meetings, as the Brown Act requires. Residents should be able to follow what the council decided and why. Some conversations with a City Attorney have to remain confidential: attorney-client privilege, pending litigation, negotiations, and legally authorized closed sessions exist to protect the city's interests.

I would support publishing clear explanations of significant council decisions and regular nonprivileged summaries of legal spending, including litigation costs when disclosure won't damage the city's position. Settlements should be disclosed in accordance with applicable law, with additional publication where legally appropriate. I would not promise to release confidential advice or reveal litigation strategy simply to create the appearance of transparency.

Spend legal dollars wisely

When Laguna Hills faced a California Voting Rights Act demand in 2025, the council had to weigh the cost and risk of litigation against a change to district elections. Reasonable people can disagree about the policy, but they should be able to see the decision and understand the tradeoff. Cities that fought these cases to the end paid heavily: Palmdale paid $4.5 million in the plaintiffs' legal fees, and Santa Clara more than $3.1 million. The larger lesson is that lawsuits involve real taxpayer dollars and a careful policy discussion should always come first. I for one am glad for the districting outcome as it affords me an opportunity to run as a representative of my Stratford Ridge neighborhood and those surrounding it. I believe hyper-local representation will lead to the best outcomes for nearby residents.

Laguna Hills currently lists Colin Burns as Interim City Attorney and Harper & Burns, LLP as its law firm. When the council chooses permanent counsel, I will support an open, competitive selection, with the current firm welcome to compete, judged on experience, independence, responsiveness, expertise, and cost. Laguna Hills already requires its independent auditor to be selected through a formal competitive process at least every six years, and legal services deserve the same discipline. Continuity and institutional knowledge are legitimate factors to weigh within that review.

My commitments as your District 4 representative