MONICA J. KILAITA

DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY                    

Practice Areas

General municipal and transactional law practice, including drafting and reviewing contracts, ordinances, resolutions, and other legal documents, as well as advising various City departments.

Background and Experience

Ms. Kilaita practices several areas of municipal law, contracts, and related transactional matters. She advises the Economic Development Department regarding Business Development and Workforce Development, as well as counsels the City’s Economic Development Commission and Economic Development and Finance Committee. She further advises the Development Services Department on its Short-Term Rentals (STR) program, along with Human Resources on various labor and employment matters including but not limited to employee grievances and related arbitration, PERB and EEOC claims, and employee policies and discipline.

Ms. Kilaita advises various bureaus within the Financial Management Department, including Business Services, Budget, Accounting, and Commercial Services. She counsels clients on constitutional law (chiefly First Amendment activities), the Public Records Act, and the Brown Act, and advises the Budget Oversight Committee, Federal Legislative Committee, and State Legislative Committee.

Prior to joining the Long Beach City Attorney's Office, Ms. Kilaita worked for two California cities where she practiced litigation.

Professional Affiliations

Ms. Kilaita is a member of the State Bar of California. She is admitted to practice in California and before the United States District Court for the Central and Eastern Districts of California.

Education

Ms. Kilaita received her Juris Doctor from Santa Clara University, where she was a Technical Editor for the Santa Clara Journal of International Law. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with honors from San José State University.