San Jose’s city attorney plans to retire later this year — and Mayor Matt Mahan is quietly leading the search for the next top lawyer to help advise and defend new city policies.
City Hall sources, who asked for anonymity to speak freely, told San José Spotlight Mahan’s office is narrowing down a field of candidates through several rounds of interviews, with the help of a recruiter and hiring panel with select City Council colleagues. His office is expected to propose candidates for council consideration within the next month, though sources said the date has not been finalized.
City Attorney Nora Frimann said the search has been in the works for a few months, and she won’t retire until her replacement is selected.
“My retirement date has depended on the appointment of a new city attorney and when that person can assume the position. Tentatively it will be in late October,” Frimann told San José Spotlight. “My understanding is that the mayor and council had an approach to find my replacement several months ago and a recruiter was engaged to assist with the process.”
Mahan’s office didn’t respond to requests for comment.
In San Jose, the mayor’s vote is just one out of 11 on the dais. In 2020, former Mayor Sam Liccardo backed off from an effort to change that dynamic and give the mayor more power under a “strong mayor” system. The city’s Charter Review Commission suggested further weakening the mayor’s powers in 2021. Under the current system, the council must approve any hires or dismissals and the ability to direct city staff and department heads belongs to the city manager.
City Manager Jennifer Maguire’s office declined to comment, deferring to the mayor’s office.
Sources said Mahan led a hiring panel involving Vice Mayor Pam Foley and Councilmembers George Casey and Rosemary Kamei. Casey declined to comment, while Foley’s office confirmed the panelist list. It’s unclear if the rest of the council has participated in the search. Councilmember Pamela Campos said she had no involvement in the hiring process. Councilmembers Carl Salas, Peter Ortiz, Michael Mulcahy, Bien Doan and Domingo Candelas did not respond to requests for comment.
Councilmember David Cohen thanked Frimann for providing a steady legal hand through complex challenges, but didn’t comment on Mahan leading the hiring process.
“I have appreciated (Frimann’s) even keeled approach in serving the entire council and putting the best interests of the city front and center. I wish her the very best in her well-earned retirement,” Cohen told San José Spotlight. “The city attorney position is one of the most important in the city and I look forward to speaking with candidates for the role as we make a selection for Nora’s replacement.”
Frimann became the second woman to become San Jose city attorney in 2020 and took the job after the retirement of Rick Doyle, who died weeks after stepping away. She joined the office in 2001 and served as assistant to Doyle. Joan Gallo — San Jose’s first female city attorney and Doyle’s predecessor — served from 1985 to 1999.
Prior to working for San Jose, Frimann was one of the first female managing shareholders at Hoge Fenton, a prominent San Jose-based law firm.
As city attorney, Frimann helped bring an end to years of card room legal battles between San Jose and Bay 101 casino, which had accused the city of leveling “unconstitutionally excessive” fees. Before she moved up in the office, she helped San Jose sue the Trump administration in federal court over its decision to repeal the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
She also guided the city through legal messes. In 2023, this news outlet won a lawsuit against the city over its practice of letting high-ranking officials use private accounts for public business without ensuring the records are centralized.
The city had already lost a 2009 lawsuit for withholding emails and texts about a development proposal from a former mayor who received millions from the city’s redevelopment agency for the project. The eight-year legal battle ended in 2017 when the California Supreme Court made a landmark ruling: communications on personal accounts or devices are considered public records if they deal with the public’s business. The high court effectively rejected a practice by government officials of using personal accounts to hide emails and texts from the public.
Councilmember-elect Anthony Tordillos said he looks forward to thanking Frimann in person when he’s sworn into the District 3 seat Tuesday, replacing interim Councilmember Salas.
“Nora’s successor has big shoes to fill as San Jose navigates the legal landscape of the future, from public safety to homelessness to air and water quality,” Tordillos told San José Spotlight.
Contact Brandon Pho at [email protected] or @brandonphooo on X.
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