San Jose names new city attorney, the second woman to fill the role

Nora Frimann was named San Jose’s second female city attorney Tuesday after serving in an interim role since the retirement of former City Attorney Rick Doyle.

“I am honored to have been selected to serve San Jose as City Attorney,” Frimann said in a statement. “The City Attorney’s office will do our best to continue providing excellent legal services to meet the high standards set by Rick Doyle. I look forward to continuing to work with the mayor and city council to serve the residents of San Jose.”

Frimann joined the San Jose City Attorney’s office in 2001 and previously served as assistant to Doyle, who died weeks after his retirement.

“Over the 19 years of Nora’s dedicated service to the city and leadership in the office, she’s never wavered from doing what is best for the people of San Jose,” said Mayor Sam Liccardo. “She will continue to lead San Jose’s legal team with tremendous competence, passion and professionalism, and I look forward to working with her in her new role.”

Frimann is the office’s representative to the League of California Cities’ Legal Advocacy Committee, an advocacy group of city attorneys across the state.

She served on the Santa Clara County Bar Association and received its Professional Attorney of the Year award in 2015. She has also served on federal court committees and is a member of the executive committee of the William A. Ingram Inn of Court.

Prior to working fpr the city of San Jose, Frimann was one of the first women selected to be a managing shareholder at Hoge Fenton, a prominent San Jose-based law firm. Now she becomes the second female to serve as city attorney, next to Doyle’s predecessor, Joan Gallo — San Jose’s first female city attorney — who served from 1985 to 1999.

Outside of her work with the city, Frimann teaches and judges mock trials and trial practice classes at Santa Clara University and Stanford Law schools.

Contact Carly Wipf at [email protected] or follow @CarlyChristineW on Twitter.