Santa Monica has hired Lane Dilg as the new City Attorney.
The decision was formally announced at Council’s June 27 meeting and follows the retirement of former City Attorney Marsha Moutrie in December of 2016.
According to a statement put out by the city, Dilg currently works for UCLA as Senior Counsel.
“… she provides legal advice across the broad range of the University’s teaching, research and public service activities, in substantive areas ranging from constitutional and employment law to health, business and real estate law,” said the city.
Dilg is a Santa Monica resident with a BA from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Masters of Theological Study from Harvard Divinity School and a JD from Yale Law School.
Before working at UCLA, Dilg prosecuted public corruption, organized crime, human trafficking, fraud and other federal criminal offenses as an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Central District Office in California.
“Dilg also served as Counsel to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, where she was a trusted legal advisor to U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein in confirmation hearings for United States Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis and during consideration of the Affordable Care Act,” said the release.
Moutrie said the city made “an excellent choice” in hiring Dilg.
She said Dilg will face many challenges in her time at the city.
“It's a challenging time for public servants, and the City is a challenging (and wonderful) client. So many issues and projects. Such a fractious local democracy. But, it's a dream job for someone who relishes lawyering at the intersection of law, local politics and policy. Ms. Dilg's track record shows that she does, and it demonstrates her ability to serve successfully in complex environments. She already knows a lot about Santa Monica. And, she will have the support of the many excellent attorneys in the office. I am certain she will meet the challenges,” she said.
“I have only two suggestions to offer. First, robust debate and controversy are indigenous to Santa Monica, and the pressures on the City Attorney are sometimes intense. If the course becomes momentarily unclear, you can steer by the stars of fairness, equal protection, free speech and transparency. Second, you are in for an exciting ride; laugh often and enjoy it.”
Mayor Ted Winterer described Dilg as a dynamic, strategic and thoughtful person.
“Ms. Dilg brings a wealth of legal experience and a formidable intellect to the job and she's passionate about public service and the issues that align with our city’s vision,” he said. “I speak for the entire Council when I say that we are thrilled to be working with Lane for years to come.”
The City Attorney is responsible for a team of 24 attorneys and 18 support staff in the areas of civil litigation, code enforcement and criminal prosecution. She will begin work on Aug. 14 with a starting salary of $283,872.
“It is an incredible privilege to serve the people of Santa Monica as City Attorney,” said Dilg. “I am grateful to the City Council for the opportunity, and I look forward to working with the talented attorneys of the City Attorney’s Office to serve my home community.”
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