The San Jose City Council has appointed Susana Alcala Wood to the post of city attorney.
The unanimous vote Tuesday marks the final procedural hurdle to confirm Wood as San Jose’s top legal counsel. Wood officially starts Nov. 9, with an annual salary set at $390,000. Councilmembers approved Wood’s hiring without discussion.
San José Spotlight first reported City Attorney Nora Frimann’s planned departure in August. At that time, the search to find her replacement, which involved a hiring panel and several rounds of closed-door interviews, was well underway, according to sources with knowledge of the process. Frimann has served in the role for five years.
Wood’s appointment gained the council’s initial seal of approval Aug. 26 with a unanimous vote that took place during a closed-door session.
Mayor Matt Mahan, who inside sources said led the hiring process, championed Wood’s selection.
“Sometimes, the biggest levers we have for action come out of the courtroom,” Mahan previously said. “And as we work to tackle the issues our residents’ care about the most, we need a champion willing to think outside of the box on homelessness, public safety and housing. After getting to know her, I believe Susana is that champion for change.”
Wood, who will be the third woman to serve as city attorney for San Jose, will direct an office tasked with providing legal support to the mayor, council and the many agencies and bodies that underpin government operations.
Wood said she is honored to have been selected for the appointment.
“A compelling reason I was drawn to San Jose is that despite its size, San Jose has maintained a strong sense of community which I deeply admire, ” Wood told San José Spotlight. “It’s a city that has always been on the forefront of innovation both inside and outside of city government, and I’m excited to continue that public service commitment from the City Attorney’s Office while getting to know and understand the community and neighborhoods needs.”
San Jose has found itself entangled in a variety of legal disputes in recent years. At times the city has had to defend against lawsuits challenging municipal policies, like the yearslong case brought by Bay 101 Casino that took aim at fees the city imposes on local gambling operations. The city also lost a lawsuit to this media outlet over a public records request involving former Mayor Sam Liccardo.
At other times, San Jose has taken the role of plaintiff. Just this month, the city joined a lawsuit filed by a coalition of local governments in the western U.S. to challenge new requirements the Trump administration has attempted to impose as a condition for the dispersal of federal disaster relief funding.
Wood presently serves as city attorney for Sacramento. Over the course of her decades-spanning legal career, she has worked in several other city attorney offices throughout California, including in Modesto and Stockton, according to a statement from the mayor’s office.
Contact Keith Menconi at [email protected] or @KeithMenconi on X.
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